FOUR DIRECTORS JOIN THE INVESTMENT ASSOCIATION BOARD

Four new directors have been appointed to the Investment Association (IA) Board of Directors following its Annual General Meeting (AGM) this afternoon. The Board of Directors oversees the IA’s activity and is made up of senior leaders from across the industry. 

Joining the Board are:  

• Paul Geddes, Group Chief Executive Officer, Evelyn Partners  

• Hans Georgeson, Chief Executive Officer, Royal London Asset Management  

• Matthew Malloy, Head of Institutional Client Group & Chief Executive Officer of Neuberger Berman Europe Ltd. 

• Sarah Melvin, Head of UK & Europe and Chair of Africa, BlackRock 

The four new Directors replace Stephen Bird (abrdn), Sean Hagerty (Vanguard), Peter Harrison (Schroders) and Michelle Scrimgeour (Legal & General Investment Management).   

Patrick Thomson, Chair of the IA Board, said: “I am delighted to welcome Paul, Hans, Matthew and Sarah to the Investment Association Board. They bring with them an invaluable range of industry experience and leadership, and we look forward to their contributions as we continue to champion the UK investment management industry and the role it plays in helping people achieve their long-term financial goals.  I would also like to express my thanks to outgoing members Stephen, Sean, Peter and Michelle for their commitment and contributions to the IA Board.” 

Notes to Editors: 

Appointments to the IA board are typically for three-year terms. Board members may seek re-election after their term is complete.  

Paul Geddes – Evelyn Partners 

Paul joined Evelyn Partners in July 2023 and was appointed as CEO on 6 October 2023. He was previously CEO of QA Group, a leading provider of higher education and workforce learning programmes and services. Prior to that, Paul spent ten years as CEO of Direct Line, the FTSE 250 insurance group. Having been CEO of the insurance division of the Royal Bank of Scotland, which included the Direct Line, Churchill, Privilege, Green Flag and NIG brands, he was responsible for splitting the division off from the bank and leading the successful IPO of Direct Line Group. 

He was also CEO of RBS' Retail Bank in the UK Mainland, including NatWest, and a member of the RBS Group Executive Committee. Before joining RBS, he held a number of marketing roles with well-known retail brands. Paul graduated from Oxford with a degree in Philosophy, Politics & Economics.  

Hans Georgeson – Royal London Asset Management 

Hans joined Royal London Asset Management as Chief Executive Officer in April 2021 with overall responsibility for managing the business, and as a member of the Royal London Group’s Executive Committee. He started his financial services career in 1996 as an equity analyst at BZW Investment Management, the asset management arm of Barclays. Hans remained with Barclays until 2010, progressing through a number of executive roles at Barclays Wealth, Gerrard Investment Management and Barclays Stockbrokers. 

In 2010 Hans joined Architas, a fledgling UK asset management business wholly owned by AXA. Under his tenure the business grew to over £40bn assets, operating across 13 countries. Hans graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Politics, Philosophy & Economics and a Masters degree in Economics. He completed his MBA at INSEAD in 2000.  

Matthew Malloy – Neuberger Berman 

Matthew joined Neuberger Berman in 2015. Matt is the Head of the Global Institutional Client Group and Head of EMEA. Additionally, he oversees the Insurance Solutions business and is a member of the firm’s Partnership Committee. Before joining the Neuberger Berman, Matt was Global Head of the Institutional Solutions Group at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and built and led the firm’s Global Insurance Solutions business.  

Prior to J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Matt was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and worked for several years as a Managing Director in Financial Institutions Investment Banking with UBS Investment Bank and Merrill Lynch. Matt serves on the board of Brick Education Network in Newark, NJ. He holds a BA from Washington & Lee University and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University.  

Sarah Melvin – BlackRock 

Ms. Melvin is responsible for leading BlackRock’s UK & Europe businesses, including setting the strategy and delivering the full suite of BlackRock products & services to clients. She was appointed as Head of UK & Europe in 2024, having previously been Head of UK since 2019. She has also been Chair of BlackRock’s Africa business, since 2023.  

Prior to this, Ms. Melvin was Head of Institutional Client Business for the US and Canada, Chief of Staff to the Chairman and CEO, Larry Fink, and Chief Operating Officer of the EMEA Retail business.  

Ms. Melvin leads the BlackRock European Leadership Group, Africa Executive Committee and Global DC Council. She also serves on the Global Operating Committee, the European Executive Committee, the Global Client Business Executive Committee and sits on the Board of the BlackRock Foundation.  

Ms. Melvin is a Non-Executive Director of TheCityUK, and a Trustee of Monmouth Schools’ Charitable Trust. She is also a member of the Diversity Project Advisory Council and HMT Women in Finance Charter Taskforce.