Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc, announces it has appointed Steven Gardner as Head of Institutional, EMEA.
Reporting to Jill Barber, Chief Distribution Officer, Steven will be responsible for developing Aviva Investors’ institutional strategy across the UK and EMEA regions, in-line with the firm’s global growth objectives. He will join the business in August, subject to regulatory approval.
Steven joins Aviva Investors from Berenberg where he led its UK asset management team as Head of Asset Management Sales & Client Relations. After starting his career as a private equity analyst at Standard Life Investments, he has since focused on managing institutional client relationships and sales. He has held roles at asset managers including Baillie Gifford, Barings, Franklin Templeton and Jupiter Asset Management, being responsible for driving new business with institutional clients globally across all major asset classes.
Steven’s appointment comes as Aviva Investors continues to grow its distribution team, having hired Jill Barber as Global Head of Distribution in July 2023.
It also follows the launch of two Long-Term Asset Funds (LTAFs) by the firm, designed to help UK institutional investors access long-term assets more efficiently. In May 2023, the firm announced the creation of its Real Estate Active LTAF (REALTAF), followed by the conversion of its Climate Transition Real Assets Fund to sit under the new regime in March this year.
Jill Barber, Chief Distribution Officer at Aviva Investors, said:
“I am delighted to welcome Steven to Aviva Investors, as we strengthen our distribution capabilities to ensure we can continue meeting the evolving needs of institutional clients. With his track record across a broad range of asset managers and his client centric ethos, Steven brings a great deal of experience to the team. I am sure his insights will be hugely valuable as we continue to help institutional clients navigate near-term challenges and reach their long-term investment goals, all of which are critical to the future growth of our business.”
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