Wealth manager and Financial Planning group Sanlam UK has hired former journalist Charlie Parker as its new head of portfolio management.

Mr Parker has worked in investment manager for a number of years after a career in financial journalism and joins South African-owned Sanlam from Neptune Investment Management, where he spent the last three years as director of asset management.

He worked for eight years at specialist financial publisher Citywire as a journalist before being appointed as director at Neptune, where he was responsible for establishing a division providing outsourced services to the asset management industry.

In his new role, he will work closely with Sanlam Wealth chief executive John White with the aim of helping grow the division's business.

Sanlam UK has made a number of growth moves in the past six months. Earlier this year, it launched Sanlam Partners for adviser firms to utilise the umbrella benefits of the Sanlam Group while retaining ownership of their business and their clients.

In August, it acquired the adviser network of Tavistock Financial, adding almost 160 advisers to its network and it also announced that Penny Lovell, formerly head of client services at Close Brothers Asset Management would head its new Private Office offering which launched in September.

Mr Parker said: “I am excited to join Sanlam at such an busy and ambitious time in its history. Portfolio Management is going through complex challenges as the sector deals with regulatory changes and I am looking forward to heading up this division at Sanlam and developing a proposition that meets the specific needs of our clients.”

John White, CEO of Sanlam’s wealth division, said:  “Charlie is a highly talented professional with an impressive wealth of experience in financial services. I look forward to working with him and bringing his significant skill-set to fruition as we seek to grow our business and deliver a high quality service to our clients.”

Sanlam UK consists of a number of businesses, including  Sanlam Private Wealth, its discretionary fund manager, Sanlam Investments & Pensions, Sanlam FOUR, its boutique asset management business and Sanlam Wealth Planning.