Cofunds, an independent UK investment platform, has appointed Brett Williams as chief executive. He will succeed Charlie Eppinger, who continues as chairman. Williams will join the company by the end of the year, according to a Cofunds news release.
Brett Williams was the founding CEO of Selestia, the wrap platform backed by Old Mutual. He became CEO of Selestia and Skandia Multi Funds following Old Mutual’s acquisition of Skandia in 2005. In this role he has overseen the integration of the Selestia and Skandia platforms and assumed responsibility for Skandia Life and Pensions and all UK distribution.
Prior to joining Old Mutual, Brett Williams had senior sales and marketing roles at J Rothschild, Independent Insurance and M&G Group. An exact start date has yet to be finalised but it is anticipated he will join Cofunds before the end of the year.
“Brett has precisely the combination of big company experience and entrepreneurial flair which we were seeking to oversee the next stage of Cofunds’ development,” says Jonathan Carey, group executive deputy chairman of Jupiter and director of Cofunds, who headed the nomination committee to find the new CEO.
Cofunds has 15 billion of assets under administration and about 500 employees.
“Cofunds is already the largest platform in the UK which is not owned by a product provider but it has the financial backing of a powerful set of shareholders,” Williams says. “They have convinced me that they are very ambitious for Cofunds future and intend to go on backing its growth as an independent company. When we look at other countries, there are generally only a handful of competitors who dominate the platform arena. In the UK Cofunds is clearly already among the leaders and I relish the challenge of keeping it moving forward as the market continues to develop.”