City A.M.‘s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured.

Ex-abrdn CEO appointed chair university board 

Keith Skeoch

The former CEO of Standard Life Aberdeen, now known as abrdn, has been appointed chair of the University of Sussex Business School’s advisory board.  

Keith Skeoch is set to take the reigns from the outgoing chair and former global chief investment officer (CIO) at Fidelity International, Dominic Rossi, who is retiring.  

Skeoch joined Standard Life Investments as CIO in 1999 and was then posted to the helm of that division in 2006.

Appointed the position of CEO of Standard Life Aberdeen in 2018, Skeoch stepped down from the top role in September last year.

“The school is a world leader in energy and development economics, and sustainability research,” the incoming chair said.

“With its commitment to the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education, the School is preparing future business leaders to uphold standards in ethics, responsibility and sustainability which are vital in tackling the impact of climate change and the environmental threats facing society and the planet.” 

Currently chair of the Investment Association, Skeoch also a Trustee of the Standard Life Foundation. 

Pub group Marston’s promotes finance lead to CFO

Hayleigh Lupino

Marston’s, which operate pubs across London, has promoted its director of group finance to its CFO position this week.

Hayleigh Lupino will step into the role and join the group’s board on 3 October.

The incoming CFO will succeed Andrew Andrea who has been promoted to CEO but will also take the helm later this year.  

Bringing over 18 years of experience with her, Lupino most recently played a key role in the sale of Marston’s Beer Company into the JV with Carlsberg UK last year.

Lupino joined the pub group in 2003 and also serves on the Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company board as a non-executive director.

“Hayleigh has unparalleled knowledge, understanding and experience of Marston’s business, culture and values which, together with her clear financial prowess, will be a great asset to the senior leadership team,” Marston’s chairman, William Rucker, said.

HSBC asset management bolsters sustainability offering

HSBC Asset Management has hired two new leads to join its newly created Sustainability Office and its Responsible Investment team this week.

The Sustainability Office will be led by the incoming global head of sustainability Erin Leonard, who will report directly to CEO Nicolas Moreau.

Stepping into the role with immediate effect, Leonard will be responsible for the delivery of HSBC Asset Management’s sustainability strategy and HSBC’s transition to sustainable investing.

“Sustainable investing has become one of the driving forces in our industry. The challenges of delivering on the Paris Agreement and meeting the diverse and fast-changing needs of our clients are immense, but they also offer enormous opportunities for growth,” CEO Nicholas Moreau said.

“The creation of our Sustainability Office reflects the strategic importance of sustainability to our business.”

Joining the Responsible Investment team is Stuart Kirk, who is currently the global head of research and insights after joining the asset manager in September last year.

Reporting to Global CIO, Xavier Baraton, Kirk will lead the team responsible for highlighting ESG risks and opportunities across asset classes when he enters the role on 12 July.

Baraton said: “Stuart’s experience in managing research teams and on ESG and climate-related issues make him ideally placed to lead our Responsible Investment team, continue to raise our standards and champion collaboration and innovation across our investment platform.”

“The firm will be expanding its Responsible Investment team with additional hires in areas including stewardship, climate change and data.”

Kirk, with over 25 years of finance experience, will also lead the development of new ESG and climate change solutions, as ESG climbs higher on the investor agenda.

PCB Corporate Finance hires new managing partner

Brett Newland

Technology and consulting-led M&A advisory firm, PCB Corporate Finance, has bolstered its team with a new managing partner.

Brett Newland joins the firm’s other advisors, previously poached from Big Four firms like PwC.

Newland said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to lead a great team of people and help us reach the next stage in our development.”

Before joining PCB, the incoming managing partner spent much of his career as a managing director in IT consulting firm Accenture’s corporate development and M&A teams.

Formerly chief operating officer at Accenture, Newland PCB Partners in 2019 as a partner.

“Time and time again Brett has shown how valuable he is to the growth of PCB Corporate Finance,” PCB founder, Ben Doltis, said.