John Mattimore has left Gartmore Group, where he was head of risk management with responsibility for managing, developing and delivering risk trading capabilities for investment managers and risk reporting for the hedge fund and long-only business, to become head of equity alpha at Old Mutual Asset Managers (UK).

Mattimore, who previously specialised in emerging markets and derivatives in the capital market divisions of Citigroup, Bear Stearns and ING, will reporting to Eoin Murray, OMAM's chief investment officer, and will manage the development of the company's discretionary equities business, including looking at complementary fund raising strategies covering benchmark and absolute return investment capabilities.

OMAM is a specialist investment manager focusing on high performance and absolute return products and offering investments including single- and multi-strategy hedge funds and unit trusts. Its four areas of investment expertise are quantitative strategies, discretionary equities, multi-strategy products and fixed interest
 
Says Mattimore: 'I was attracted to OMAM by its successful investment platform, including the quality of its fund managers and other investment professionals, its commitment to grow the business in the absolute return and benchmark spaces, and its innovative approach to product development.'

Murray adds: 'John has a very impressive fund management background and we are delighted to have hired someone of his quality and vision. OMAM already manages a diversified range of products but we work in a fast-changing world - and John's skills will help us continue to deliver the right products and returns to meet our clients' requirements.'