Aviva Investors has hired Susan Schmidt to lead its US equities team, saying the move was part of a plan to expand the firm’s footprint in the asset class.
Schmidt joins from investment management company Westwood Holdings Group, where she spent three years as a senior portfolio manager covering small and mid-cap US equities.
Based in Chicago, Schmidt will report to chief investment officer for equities, David Cumming, who was himself only appointed in January.
Cumming said Schmidt’s hire demonstrates Aviva’s commitment to having “strong integrated teams across all key areas of the equities market”, and he said the firm planned to add resources to further strengthen the US team over the coming months.
Earlier this year, Aviva Investors added nine people to UK, global and emerging market equities teams, predominantly from Standard Life Investments, and at the time Cumming hinted at additional “high-calibre” appointments later in the year.
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