United Kingdom

UK - Mark Hoble has been appointed UK head of human resource operations consulting and a European partner at global consultants William M. Mercer.

UK - Goldman Sachs Asset Management, the investment arm of Goldman Sachs, has appointed David Townshend as a buyside analyst.

UK - Prudential has been appointed as the new additional voluntary contributions (AVC) provider to the £972m Surrey County Council pension fund, beating competition from Standard Life, Clerical Medical and Norwich Union.

UK - French financial services giant AXA UK has appointed Dennis Holt to the position of group chief executive, replacing Mark Wood.

UK - Owen Sweetman, director of operations and marketing planning at multi-managers SEI Investments has quit the firm after 18 months.

UK - Derek Lygo, UK investment director at Dresdner RCM Global Investors will leave the firm to join First State Investments.

UK - Multi-managers Attica Asset Management has appointed Bina Sanghvi as finance director.

UK - Investment house Pictet Asset Management has poached Friends Ivory & Sime's (FIS) UK small-caps manager Justin Hill.

UK - Significant problems remain for pension scheme trustees in being able to pass over money to which ex-spouses are entitled, according to Watson Wyatt.

UK - The Environment Agency has reviewed the investment management arrangements of part of its active pension fund and has appointed Henderson Global Investors to manage approximately £330m.