Maples Fund Services, an independent global fund services provider and a division of MaplesFS, has expanded its European operations with the hire of Steve Lewis, Director of European Business Development. Based in London, Lewis is responsible for expanding the fund administration and middle-office businesses across the firm’s European offices. Lewis will work closely with Scott Somerville (pictured), CEO of MaplesFS, and Toni Pinkerton, Global Head of Fund Services, as well as the Regional Heads of Fund Services for Dublin and Luxembourg to execute the firm’s business development and growth strategy. “We continue to see managers attracted to Dublin, Luxembourg and

NYSE Euronext has appointed Peter Leukert as Global Chief Information Officer, effective immediately. Leukert will lead NYSE Euronext’s global Information Technology operations and will report to President and Deputy CEO, Dominique Cerutti (pictured). As Global CIO, Leukert will bring his extensive experience to the continued transformation of NYSE Euronext and its IT operating model. Since 2007, Leukert has been CIO of Commerzbank, in charge of all applications and IT infrastructure, including a technology group comprising 3,800 employees. Prior to that, he worked for McKinsey since 1994 where he became a partner in 2001. There he led the development and implementation

Kinetic Partners, a global professional services firm to the asset management, investment banking and brokerage community, has promoted Jonathan Saxton to a member of the firm’s growing consulting and regulatory compliance practice. Saxton has worked with a wide range of investment management clients both in the US and the UK, providing assistance over a large variety of global governance and regulatory topics. He has also undertaken several confidential assignments for various regulatory bodies. With a thorough knowledge of both FSA and SEC requirements, the main service offerings in his practice involve global periodic reviews of systems and controls, project management

Tim Joeng has joined independent wealth management firm Gresham Partners adding deep experience in the area of alternative and private equity investments. As a Principal and senior member of the investment team, Joeng is responsible for sourcing investment opportunities, performing manager due diligence and building portfolios for Gresham’s clients. Joeng reports directly to President and Chief Investment Officer Ted Neild (pictured) and is a key member of Gresham’s investment committee. “Very few wealth advisory firms have a real, deep commitment to investing in non-marketable strategies,” says Neild. “It’s complicated, and many of their clients don’t have the personal financial security

Alan Whiting is to succeed Hugh Freedberg as the new non-executive Chairman of the NYSE Liffe’s global derivatives business. Whiting’s appointment will take effect from 1 May, 2012. Freedberg who previously served as CEO of NYSE Liffe from 1998 to 2009 is retiring from his role as Chairman, which he has held since 2009.                 “I would like to thank Hugh Freedberg for his long and distinguished service to the company and industry as a whole. Amongst his many achievements, Hugh led the reinvention of the company, transforming the business from a mutual in the late nineties. He implemented the

Spring Mountain Capital, LP (SMC), an investment management firm that focuses on alternative asset investing, has established a High Yield and Distressed Municipal Strategies Group. The firm has also hired high yield and distressed municipal bonds specialists Garey M Fuqua, Thomas J Brophy and Sandra T Matthews to lead its investments in this asset class. Fuqua will lead the team and serve as Managing Director and Group Head of High Yield and Distressed Municipal Strategies.   Driven by an investment philosophy focused on a dynamic and opportunistic investment thesis and approach, the creation of the High Yield and Distressed Municipal

The Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands (BVI) offices of international law firm Maples and Calder (Maples) have recruited seven partners and three associates to join the firm’s growing investment funds practice. Currently at offshore firm Walkers, partners Julian Ashworth, Heidi De Vries, Sheryl Dean, David Marshall, Philip Millward and Gwyneth Rees, and senior associates Philip Dickinson, Patrick Head and Lucy Nicklas will be joining Maples’ Cayman Islands office and partner Tim Clipstone will be joining the firm’s BVI office as soon as they are free to do so under their existing arrangements.  These 10 key hires will reinforce Maples’

The Annual General Meeting of the Swiss Funds Association (SFA) has elected Felix Haldner (pictured), Head Investment Structures at Partners Group AG, as an additional member on the SFA Board of Directors. The SFA already represents the interests of asset managers regulated under the CISA. This expansion of the Board of Directors is aimed at ensuring even greater representation of the views and concerns of asset managers looking to the upcoming amendments to legislation. The SFA is thus underscoring its commitment to the asset management industry in Switzerland. At today’s General Meeting in Bern, the members of the SFA elected

HFR has appointed Joel M Schwab as a Managing Director, a role in which he will head up new business development efforts for HFR Hedge Fund Database & Research Products. Schwab launched and developed the commercial business of the HedgeFund.net hedge fund database for Channel Capital Group Inc. prior to its acquisition by eVestment, and most recently was Senior Vice President – Alternatives for eVestment Alliance LLC.  Prior to Channel Capital, Schwab practiced law in the Corporate Department of the law firm Katten Muchin Zavis in Chicago.   “HFR’s industry-leading database is the ultimate solution for hedge fund investors, funds

French hedge fund manager Bernheim, Dreyfus & Co. has appointed BofA Merrill Lynch as an additional prime broker for the Diva Synergy Fund and the Diva Synergy UCITS Fund. The allocation of assets of the funds between BofA Merrill Lynch and, the current prime brokers and custodian of the funds, will be determined by the nature and type of transaction and at the discretion of Bernheim, Dreyfus & Co. The functions which BofA Merrill Lynch performs under the agreement are the provision of financing and settlement services to the funds, regarding the purchase and sale of securities entered into by