Executive Appointments Reshape UK Wealth Management Landscape

At financial technology firm EV, Chet Velani has been promoted to chief executive officer. Having joined the company as a graduate in 2008, Velani’s 18-year tenure saw him lead the business from a small team to a provider supporting over 25 per cent of the UK advisor market. He now takes the helm to steer EV’s strategy across its diverse client base, which includes banks, pension providers, and wealth managers.

Meanwhile, Mattioli Woods has appointed Sheelagh Bailey as chief information officer. Bailey, formerly head of change at Investec Wealth & Investment UK, joins the executive committee to oversee digital modernization. In the asset management space, Nomura Asset Management has brought on Richard Hastings as a client portfolio manager in London. Hastings, a veteran of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, will focus on fixed income and credit strategies to deepen the firm’s engagement with EMEA clients.

Operational growth remains a core focus for the One Four Nine Group, which has named Lucy Bristow as chief operating officer. With three decades of experience, including senior roles at Wealthtime and James Hay, Bristow is tasked with reinforcing the firm’s infrastructure. Her arrival comes as the group looks to capitalize on the UK advice gap, balancing organic growth with targeted acquisitions to scale its financial planning and investment management services.