AJ Bell has promoted Ryan Hughes in a new role as head of investment partnerships where he will take charge of the firm's bespoke model portfolio service for advised clients.
AJ Bell’s managing director, Kevin Doran said Hughes has been central to the success of the firm’s MPS.
Doran added: "This new role will enable him to focus on our bespoke MPS offering, with portfolios built in partnership with adviser firms according to specific needs of their clients.”
Hughes, who joined the business in 2016 as head of investment research, has been involved in the growth of the MPS since it launched that same year.
Under the bespoke MPS proposition the AJ Bell Investments team build and manage portfolios tailored to individual specifications for adviser firms and their clients.
Taking over from Hughes, Alena Kosava joins as the new head of investment research, where she will assume responsibility for the analysis underpinning AJ Bell’s core investment solutions across the business.
Speaking of Kosava’s appointment, Doran said: “Alena brings strong experience in analysis, research and portfolio management to the investment team and we’re delighted to welcome her to the business. Her appointment exemplifies the growing strength of our team of investment experts, which underpins the success of our investment offering at AJ Bell.”
Prior to joining AJ Bell, Kosava was most recently head of collectives at Avellemy Investment Management.
Previously she spent more than seven years in investment analysis and fund research with Tilney Smith & Williamson, including as director of equity and alternative strategies.
Hughes said he will continue to work very closely with Kosava and her team to ensure their portfolios “keep on delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients.”
Kosava added that she was looking forward to the new chapter and to developing the proposition for clients.
These appointments come after a raft of changes at the firm this year as it struggled to grow against the backdrop of an underperforming investment market.
Last month, the firm announced that Andy Bell will step down as chief executive later this year having founded the investment platform business some 27 years ago.
The company also launched a new direct-to-consumer investment platform and is preparing to launch its adviser app Touch by year end.
jane.matthews@ft.com
