Damian Barry joins MASECO Private Wealth as CIO

March 18, 2022
By staff writer
News

Damian Barry, left, has joined MASECO Private Wealth, which is headquartered on the Strand in London's Mayfair district, right

MASECO Private Wealth, the London-based wealth management firm which specializes in looking after high-net-worth American expats in the UK and Hong Kong, has named Damian Barry to the role of chief investment officer.

The role has been vacant since last year, a company spokesperson said.

Barry comes to MASECO from Mediolanum Asset Management Ltd., a Dublin-based asset manager, where he had headed up its multi-asset operations, responsible, along with his team, for both top-down strategic research as well as bottom-up selection of its multi-asset portfolios, according to a statement announcing his appointment.

At MASECO, Barry will lead the company's investment team, "bringing together both internal and external expertise to portfolio construction and research," the statement added, in addition to chairing MASECO’s Investment Committee, and becoming a member of its Strategy Committee.

MASECO co-founder and managing partner James Sellon said Barry's appointment was "an important" one for the company, and was "key in our ambition to grow and develop our market share."

He added: "Damian will play a fundamental role in helping us shape the future of MASECO.”

Ex-Seven IM

Prior to joining Mediolanum in September, 2019, Barry had been a senior portfolio manager for Seven Investment Management, again focusing on multi-asset portfolios, and before that, managed large, multi-asset portfolios for Threadneedle and Russell Investments, which was ultimately acquired by Seven IM. During his time at Russell Investments, Barry lived in Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington, and managed portfolios for U.S. clients.

Among his qualifications are CFA chartholder and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University College Cork, in Ireland.

MASECO Private Wealth was founded in June 2008 by Sellon, Joshua Matthews and Emilia Chachulova, who prior to this had been part of Citigroup’s Smith Barney operation in London’s Canary Wharf. In addition to looking after expatriate Americans, it also advises non-American UK-based investors, helps other intermediaries with their American clients, and advises those interested in sustainable and ethical investing.

It is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, the US Securities & Exchange Commission, and is “B Corporation-certified”, an accreditation which indicates that a business meets a certain environmental and social standard.