M&G Investments taps Barings for new client group head

M&G Investments has hired a veteran from Barclays and Barings to head up marketing, distribution and client experience.

Neil Godfrey will begin in the role of Global Head of Client Group on 16 June, which also sees him joining the executive leadership team.

Neil joins from Barings, where he had been for 15 years (including seven under the Babson Capital brand), most recently as Managing Director and Head of Global Distribution.

Prior to this, he worked for nearly six years at Barclays Global Investors, the progenitor of the iShares ETFs brand, which was acquired by BlackRock in 2009.

Joseph Pinto, Chief Executive Officer, M&G Investments, said: “I look forward to welcoming Neil to M&G as we continue to expand and enhance our distribution presence by broadening the availability of our investment capabilities to a growing number of client segments.

“Neil brings a wealth of experience in distribution to support our growth across both public and private asset classes.

Neil Godfrey said: “M&G is a phenomenal business with huge ambition, great talent and an enviable market position.

“This is thanks to its international Public and Private market capabilities, coupled with the strength of its internal insurance business, meaning it can provide innovative solutions to clients that deliver alpha over the long-term. I look forward to playing my role in helping to meet its growth ambitions.”

The firm’s marketing is headed up by CMO Laura Brown, who is also Head of Client Experience. Since joining M&G Investments in 2023, she has led its reinvestment into brand and pioneered initiatives such as the Dream Machine podcast.