William Morris appointed as Head of Investments

Weatherbys Private Bank has appointed William Morris as Head of Investments to manage the Bank’s global tracker portfolios and oversee its panel of third-party discretionary managers. The appointment comes as the Bank reports a strong 2021, with cash deposits growing 29% last year.

William has more than a decade’s experience in private banking in both client-facing investment advisory and portfolio optimisation roles. He has strong quantitative expertise, having gained an MSci in Mathematics from Imperial College London. He spent more than seven years at Barclays as lead analyst for its Strategic Asset Allocations (SAAs) – the blueprints used to manage around £13bn of multi-asset funds and portfolios. He joins from Oxford Risk and replaces John Butters who has left the bank to run his family business.

Nathan Valbonesi, Associate Director at Weatherbys Private Bank, says: “William’s quantitative analysis skillset and portfolio expertise will bring a new dimension to our passive investment proposition used by the majority of our clients. We are thrilled that he has joined to turbo-charge our Investment & Wealth Advice Service.”

The appointment comes following a strong year of growth for the private bank as it continues to meet the needs of its expanding client base – more than 50 new staff were appointed in 2021.

Ollie Barnett, Director, adds: “For Weatherbys Private Bank, 2021 was another year of growth. Our deposits grew 29%, an impressive number. We operate a very conservative balance sheet, with a huge amount of liquidity maintained at the Bank of England. Our focus on providing access to a knowledgeable and responsive team when needed continues to win in the marketplace. 

“The housing market has proven resilient, meaning demand for sensibly structured loans has also been strong. Stock markets have been robust despite the current socio-economic climate. Their performance has reminded us that we should first have a financial plan and then stick to it, rather than trying to second-guess the future.”

Press coverage:

Citywire Wealth Manager – Weatherbys hires Barclays veteran as investment boss exits

Portfolio Adviser – Weatherbys hires ex-Barclays man as head of investments

The WealthNet – Weatherbys appoints investments head following ‘bumper’ year