Sarasin & Partners has appointed Fiona O’Neill as head of investment.

O’Neill joins from Fidelity International where she spent 20 years in a range of senior investment roles. Most recently, she served as head of global equity research capabilities. During her time at Fidelity, she also held senior roles in equity research, cross-asset research, and fund management, including as part of the team managing the Fidelity European Growth Fund. In her new role, O’Neill will be responsible for overseeing Sarasin & Partners’ thematic equity investment process, including equity research and stewardship.

Quilter has named Warren Vickers as managing director of Quilter Financial Planning.

The appointment comes following the announcement that current Quilter Financial Planning managing director, Steve Fryett, will retire in the summer of 2026 after a 38-year career in financial services. Vickers, who is currently commercial director of Quilter Financial Planning, will succeed Fryett as managing director and will also assume oversight of Quilter’s national advice business, Quilter Financial Advisers.

7IM has appointed Ben Kumar to the newly created role of head of strategy – wealth, public policy & investment.

Kumar has more than a decade of experience in money management, having joined 7IM in 2010 as a research analyst. He became an investment manager in 2013, before being promoted to head of equity strategy in the investment management team. In his expanded role, he will continue to contribute to portfolio strategy while leading the group’s public policy positioning, industry engagement, and strategic thinking across wealth and investment.

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