Romer-Lee given pan-European role for Morningstar
From People Moves Feb 22 2012 BY: Esther Armstrong
, Senior Reporter
, Portfolio Adviser
Morningstar's Richard Romer-Lee
Richard Romer-Lee has been named managing director for Morningstar's investment consulting business in Europe, overseeing operations at OBSR in the UK, Morningstar Associates Europe, and Seeds in France.
He is co-founder and previously joint managing director of OBSR, now owned by Morningstar.
Nigel Whittingham will remain managing director of OBSR and Charles Barnick will remain managing director of Morningstar Associates Europe, including Seeds.
Both will report to Romer-Lee along with his 30-strong investment consulting team who specialise in fund selection, portfolio construction, asset allocation, risk management and alternative investments across the key European markets.
Peng Chen, president of Morningstar's Investment Management division, said: "Europe offers key growth opportunities for our investment consulting business. We have strong relationships with some of the largest financial institutions in the UK and the rest of Europe.
"There is an increasing demand for consultancy support across all parts of the investment process, ranging from risk management through asset allocation to portfolio construction and fund selection, and investors and advisers are looking for guidance in incorporating these vehicles in portfolios."
Romer-Lee added: "There are a number of strong trends across the industry, including the increasing emphasis on the need for savings, the ever-tightening regulatory environment calling for greater scrutiny of investments and products and difficult market conditions.
"With this new structure, we will be even better positioned to provide a comprehensive range of country-specific solutions to meet our clients' individual needs."