River and Mercantile (R&M) has today announced that Nick Pearse will join as a senior member of the UK Wholesale team led by Simon Smith.

Pearse joins R&M from Jupiter, which acquired Merian Global Investors in 2020, where Nick worked for the past decade.

At River and Mercantile he will be responsible for developing business and client service in the Midlands, South West and Channel Islands.

Pearse is the third senior wholesale hire in just over six months as the company continues to invest heavily in distribution across the group.

Commenting on the appointment, Simon Smith, Head of Wholesale Distribution, said: “I’ve known and worked with Nick for nine years and regard him as one of the best distribution professionals in the industry. I am thrilled that he is joining the team at River and Mercantile to help implement our aggressive growth strategy.”

Nick Pearse commented: “This was an easy decision. River and Mercantile is a very strong brand in the wholesale market with an excellent product range and renowned investment teams.  I know I can make a strong contribution to the growth of the business and I’m looking forward to working again with Simon.”

Group Chief Executive James Barham said: “We have made a clear commitment to invest in our distribution capability and Nick’s hire is the latest, but by no means the last, demonstration of our ambition. I welcome Nick to the company and I know he will enjoy being part of our growing team.”