Press releases
LGIM appoints Head of Wholesale & Retail Distribution for Europe
29 Jul 2021
Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), one of the world’s leading asset managers with €1.43 trillion in assets under management (AuM)1,has today announced the appointment of Steven de Vries as its new Head of Wholesale & Retail Distribution, EMEA, to lead the firm’s wholesale and retail efforts in Europe.
Steven will be responsible for driving LGIM’s ambitious growth plans in the region by managing the firm’s mutual fund and ETF distribution in core European markets, such as Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Steven will leverage his wealth of experience working closely with a range of European wealth managers, private banks, and other wholesale and intermediary clients.
He replaces Simon Hynes who retired earlier this year after successfully establishing the foundations for LGIM’s wholesale and retail business in a number of core European markets. Steven will report into Honor Solomon, Head of Retail, EMEA, and will lead the European Wholesale distribution teams. He will largely be based in LGIM’s Amsterdam office, while regularly visiting LGIM’s European offices in London, Frankfurt and Milan.
With 25 years’ experience in the asset management industry, Steven worked for Janus Henderson Investors as Managing Director, Global Financial Institutions (GFIs), where he was responsible for developing and implementing the strategy for GFIs and key accounts from 2017 to 2020. Prior to the company’s merger, he held senior roles at Henderson Global Investors from 2001 to 2017, including the position of Head of Sales for continental Europe for six years. Recently, Steven acted as an independent consultant, advising boutique asset managers on European distribution, among others.
Honor Solomon, Head of Retail, EMEA, Legal & General Investment Management: "LGIM is particularly well positioned to take advantage of the growth opportunities in Europe and beyond, thanks to ongoing pressures on fees, higher cost local competitors and our well-established distribution infrastructure in continental Europe. I am therefore delighted that Steven has decided to join LGIM at such an exciting time for the growth of the business. I look forward to working with him and leveraging both his insight and expertise from a so far stellar career in the region."
Steven de Vries, Head of Wholesale & Retail Distribution, EMEA, Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM): "LGIM has already developed an impressive presence in core European markets with its expertise in fixed income, thematic ETFs and reputation as one of the leading responsible investors. However, there is also a great opportunity to grow those existing businesses, build new relationships with clients and further develop those in new jurisdictions. We believe that the strong product offering is well suited for European investors and will enable us to deepen our roots while strategically expanding our relationships with clients across wealth and intermediary channels"
- LGIM internal data as at 31 December 2020. The AUM disclosed aggregates the assets managed by LGIM in the UK, LGIMA in the US and LGIM Asia in Hong Kong. The AUM includes the value of securities and derivatives positions.
Further information
Notes to editors
Established in 1836, Legal & General is one of the UK's leading financial services groups and a major global investor, with £1.2 trillion in total assets under management1 of which 40% is international. We have a unique and highly synergistic business model, which continues to drive strong returns. Legal & General provides powerful asset origination and management capabilities directly to clients, which also underpin our leading retirement and protection solutions. We are a leading international player in Pension Risk Transfer, in UK and US life insurance, and in UK workplace pensions and retirement income. Our purpose is to improve the lives of our customers and create value for our shareholders. Through inclusive capitalism, we are investing in long-term assets, such as real estate and infrastructure, that can help build a better society for the future.
1Data as at 31 December 2023.