In this role, she will be working in supporting intermediaries delivering dedicated solutions and services to financial advisors, which has been successfully delivered in Italy and Spain. She will work closely with Luca Matassino, Chief Business Officer at Mediolanum.

Merzagora brings more than twenty-five years of extensive experience in strategic business development and sustainable investing to her current position. Prior to joining Mediolanum, she held the role of head of sustainable investing client strategy EMEA and managing director at Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

Preceding this, she served as the country manager for Italy and Austria at NN Investment Partners for over a decade.

Merzagora began her professional career at Deutsche Bank Germany. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics from the London School of Economics.

Luca Matassino, chief business officer at Mediolanum said: “Mediolanum is an asset manager that puts the client at the centre and places significant emphasis on innovation and research.

“With our unique multi-manager approach, we offer a diverse range of highly specialised fund solutions tailored to meet the specific needs of our clients. Germany represents one of the most promising markets for Mediolanum, and we’re happy to have gained an experienced expert such as Simona Merzagora. She will further strengthen our brand and be our representative on this market.”

Merzagora said: “I’m looking forward to my new role bringing Mediolanum unique solutions and services to existing clients and further expanding the footprint of Mediolanum’s client centric culture in Germany.

“To achieve this, we will strengthen our distribution partnerships nurturing the relationships with Financial Advisors, whose role is pivotal for clients’ outcome.”

The PFS board has appointed Ben Wright as a director of the organisation.

Wright is a chartered financial planner and fellow of the PFS, based in Sheffield. He will serve an initial four-year term, with his first board meeting set for 21 March.

The PFS board has also elected two of its existing directors, Carla Brown and Daniel Williams, as vice presidents of the professional membership body.

Both Brown and Williams will act as vice president this year, with one of them to be elected to serve as president in 2025, subject to confirmation at this year’s AGM. The other will serve as president in 2026, again subject to confirmation at the next AGM.

Brown will additionally take on the role of chair of the PFS power panel, on which she has served as an active member for several years.

Fidelity International

The firm has appointed Keith Metters to lead its overall business as president.

Metters, who joined the company in 2020 to head up its Workplace Investing business arm, will report to chair Abigail Johnson.

Metters has more than 25 years of experience in the industry, having previously worked in the US at Fidelity Investments. While there, he adopted a range of roles, most recently leading its Workplace Investing core market division, where he led the implementation of investment strategies and solutions for clients.

He replaces CEO Anne Richards, who announced that she would be stepping down from her role last year.

Titan Asset Management

Square Mile Consulting and Research chief executive Richard Romer-Lee has been appointed co-CEO of Titan Asset Management.

He will share the role alongside current Titan AM CEO Paul Hunt, while also retaining his role as head of Square Mile.

The acquisition of Square Mile by Titan was announced in June 2023 and received FCA approval last week. It includes the £2.5bn in assets under management held across Square Mile’s MPS solutions.

Square Mile will continue to operate under its own brand and management.

Sarasin & Partners

The firm has appointed Nomura AM’s UK head of equity Tom Wildgoose as senior portfolio manager with a global equity focus.

Wildgoose will begin his new role on 4 March after spending over 16 years at Nomura. He began in 2007 as a global equity analyst and portfolio manager, before becoming head of global research for the UK office in 2011, and head of equity investment for global equity in the UK office in 2014.