Quilter Financial Planning chair Chris Samuel has been appointed a non-executive director of the main company’s board with effect from 1 July.

Mr Samuel, an ex-CEO of Ignis Asset Management, has worked in financial services for several decades, mostly in investment and asset management. 

He is chair of Quilter Financial Planning, the group’s financial advice arm, and is also chair of BlackRock Throgmorton Trust and JP Morgan Japanese Investment Trust plc.

He is also a non-executive director of Alliance Trust PLC and UIL Limited. He was chief executive of Ignis Asset Management, a business which had £65bn of assets under management before its sale in 2014 to Standard Life Investments. He led both the business and the sale.

Mr Samuel has also held board-level positions at a number of asset managers including Gartmore, Hill Samuel Asset Management and Cambridge Place Investment Management.  Before his move into asset management he spent 10 years at US Investment Bank Prudential-Bache. He began his career with KPMG in 1980 where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

He has stepped down today from the board of Sarasin & Partners LLP and will not be seeking re-election to the Alliance Trust PLC board at its next AGM in 2022. 

Quilter says he will provide “challenge, advice and support” to Quilter's management team on business performance and operational matters. He will join the Quilter Board Risk Committee and the Board Technology and Operations Committee.

Glyn Jones, chairman of the Quilter board, said: “Chris has demonstrated strong leadership as he has chaired our advice business, Quilter Financial Planning, over the last year and I am delighted he has agreed to join the Quilter board. Chris' deep experience and expertise as an executive and as a non-executive director in the asset management industry will enable him to make a strong contribution to the deliberations of the Quilter Board."