Become a Member
  • Track your favourite stocks
  • Create & monitor portfolios
  • Daily portfolio value
Sign Up
Quickpicks
Add shares to your
quickpicks to
display them here!

Directorate change

3rd Jun 2026 07:00

RNS Number : 7312G
Aberdeen Group PLC
03 June 2026
 

Aberdeen Group plc

 

Non-executive director appointments

 

Aberdeen Group plc announces that Arno Kitts and Richard (Rick) Lacaille have been appointed to the Board as Non-Executive Directors with effect from 3 June 2026. They will put themselves forward for election by shareholders at the 2027 AGM.

 

Arno Kitts has over 30 years' experience in global asset management and insurance, having held senior leadership roles at BlackRock, Henderson Global Investors and JP Morgan. At BlackRock, he was Managing Director of the UK Institutional business and Chief Executive of its life insurance investment platform. He is the founder of Perspective Investments, a boutique investment management firm. He has also served as a Non-Executive Director of Pension Insurance Corporation plc, where he chaired the Investment and Origination Committee. His combination of investment, distribution, insurance and governance expertise will be a valuable addition to the Board. Arno is currently Chair of New World Group Holdings Limited and a member of the Investment Committee of The Valesco Group Limited.

 

Rick Lacaille is a highly experienced investment leader, having spent over 20 years in senior roles at State Street Global Advisors, latterly as Global Chief Investment Officer, where he had oversight of investment activity across active and passive strategies and multiple asset classes. He brings extensive experience of leading global investment teams, navigating complex market environments and driving strategic change across economic and market cycles. Rick also has deep experience in ESG having most recently served as Global Head of ESG at State Street, where he led the firm's approach to sustainability and engagement with regulators, clients and investors. His global perspective and understanding of markets and evolving regulatory themes will bring considerable value to the Board. He is currently a Senior Advisor at Enzo Advisors LLC and Executive Advisor at Arab Invest. He has also held a number of industry roles, including as Chair of the Institute for Quantitative Investment Research and as a member of the Investment Association's Asset Management Committee.

 

Commenting on these appointments, Jonathan Asquith, Chair of Aberdeen Group plc, said:

 

"I am delighted to welcome Arno and Rick to our Board. Both have considerable experience in global asset management, combining significant investment expertise with distribution, strategy and governance. Together, they bring highly complementary skills and perspectives and significant industry insight, which will be of considerable value as we execute Aberdeen's strategy to become the UK's leading wealth and investments business."

 

Following these changes, the Board will comprise two executive directors, seven non-executive directors and the Chair. The Board will be made up of four women and six men. The Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority have been notified of these changes. Arno and Rick's other appointments are listed below. There are no further details to disclose under Listing Rule 6.4.8R. The Board considers both Arno Kitts and Rick Lacaille to be independent in accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code.

 

3 June 2026

 

 

 

Enquiries:

 

Media

Duncan Young

 

 

+44 (0) 7920 868 865

Institutional Equity Investors

Duncan Heath

 

 

+44 (0) 207 156 2495

 

Group Secretariat

Iain Jones

 

 

+44 (0) 7464 917 797

 

LEI number of Aberdeen Group plc: 0TMBS544NMO7GLCE7H90

 

END

 

 

Notes to Editors

 

Arno Kitts

 

Non-Executive Director's Fee

Arno's fee as a Non-Executive Director of Aberdeen Group plc will be £75,000 per annum.

 

Interest in Shares

As at the date of this announcement, Arno does not hold any shares in Aberdeen Group plc.

 

Biographical Details:

Nationality:

British

Education:

University of Southampton, PhD

University of Southampton, BSc, Mathematics

Current Non-Executive Roles

2025 - Current

New World Group Holdings Limited

Chair

2023 - Current

The Valesco Group Limited

Member, Investment Committee

2017 - Current

Wakett (Malta) Ltd

Non-Executive Director

Executive Career Summary

2008 - Current

Perspective Investments

Founder, Director of MH Markets Global Limited and Pi Investment Management Limited; member of the Investment Committee and Investment Advisory Committee and a director of managed funds.

2012 - 2016

BlackRock

Managing Director, UK Institutional Investment business

Chief Executive of BlackRock Life Limited

2003 - 2012

Henderson Global Investors

Head of Global Distribution

Head of UK & EMEA Institutional Business

1997 - 2002

JP Morgan Chase

Head of UK Institutional Business, JP Morgan Asset Management

Head of European Defined Contribution Business, JP Morgan Asset Management 

Chief Executive, JP Morgan Life Limited

1989 - 1997

Forester Insurance Group

UK Group Chief Executive & Head of Investments

GM, Finance and Operations & Head of Investments

Investment Analyst, Actuarial & Investment Department

Previous Non-Executive Roles

2016 - 2025

Pension Insurance Corporation plc and Pension Insurance Corporation Group Limited

Non-Executive Director and Chair of Investment and Origination Committee

2017 - 2023

Wake Trade Technologies Ltd

Non-Executive Director

2006 - 2011

Pension & Lifetime Savings Association

Non-Executive Director

 

 

Rick Lacaille

 

Non-Executive Director's Fee

Rick's fee as a Non-Executive Director of Aberdeen Group plc will be £75,000 per annum.

 

Interest in Shares

As at the date of this announcement, Rick does not hold any shares in Aberdeen Group plc.

 

Biographical Details:

Nationality:

British

Education:

London Guildhall University, MSc, Econometrics and Forecasting

Lancaster University, BSc, Operational Research

Current Advisory Roles

2024 - Current

Enzo Advisors LLC

Senior Advisor

2026- Current

Arab Invest

Executive Advisor

Executive Career Summary

2000 - 2023

State Street Global Advisors

Senior Advisor and Global Head of ESG

Global Chief Investment Officer

Head of Global Active Quantitative Strategies

Chief Investment Officer, Europe

Head of Structured Equities

1993 - 2000

Gartmore Investment Management Ltd

Head of Structured Equities

Head of Quantitative Research

1984 - 1993

C Squared

Quantitative Finance Consultant

 

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact [email protected] or visit www.rns.com.RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy Policy.
 
END
 
 
BOABIGDLXGGDGLD

Related Shares:

Abrdn
FTSE 100 Latest
Value10,360.32
Change28.02