CITY MOVES WHO

The wealth management firm has appointed Mark Armstrong as its new head of operations.

Armstrong joins from Axa in the Isle of Man, where he was director of technical and proposition support.

He has over 20 years of experience in offshore financial services, having also previously worked as finance director at Allied Dunbar and in senior roles at Eagle Star, Zurich and Royal Skandia.

The global wealth manager has hired Dominic Stearns as global head of compliance and Carmen Menendez-Puerto as head of financial crime in the Americas region.

Stearns joins as a managing director from Citigroup, where he has been global chief compliance officer for the firm’s private banking activities since 2005. Menendez-Puerto also joins as a managing director from Citigroup, where she led the global anti-money laundering programme.

RBC Wealth Management

The wealth management firm, part of Royal Bank of Canada, has hired Keith Pearse as head of human resources. 

Pearse, who will be based in Jersey, was previously head of human resources for RBC Wealth Management in the British Isles. He joined in 2008 from law firm CMS Cameron McKenna, and prior to that was head of knowledge and information management for Arthur Andersen in Europe. He also spent 18 years at oil giant BP.

FinnCap

The City brokerage has appointed Mark Paddon, the former head of research at Teathers, to its research team.

Paddon joins in September to cover support services, media and special situations. He has over 20 years of experience as a UK smaller companies analyst, having worked at Deutsche Bank, NatWest Markets and W.I. Carr before joining Teather and Greenwood in 2003.

Air Partner

Charles “Chuck” Pollard has joined the private aviation services firm as a non-executive director, effective from today.

Pollard is currently non-executive vice chairman of Omni Air International, a charter airline catering to the US government.

He has also previously worked as president and chief executive of World Airways, which he joined as company secretary and general counsel in 1987.

AEC Education

The Far East-focused educational courses and examinations specialist has appointed Naresh Malhotra to its board as an executive director, following its recent acquisition of UK-based English language course provider Malvern House.

Malhotra will continue to head up Malvern House as its chief executive.