MFS Investment Management has appointed Alison O’Neill as its next chief investment officer.
The US-based role will become effective from 1 January 2025 and she will also join the firm’s management committee.
This will involve her overseeing the 300-person MFS investment team including its equity, fixed income, quantitative solutions and global trading teams.
O’Neill has worked at MFS for 19 years and is currently a portfolio manager and co-chief investment officer of equity for the Americas, having joined the asset manager in 2005 as an equity research analyst.
She will succeed Ted Maloney who has held the role since 2019 and will become the firm’s chief executive next year. Maloney has spent almost 20 years with MFS in a variety of roles including director of US research and portfolio manager. In the CEO role, he will be responsible for the strategic direction and vision of MFS across investment, distribution, finance, human resources, legal and technology.
The CEO appointment follows the move by Michael Roberge who will now assume the role of executive chair, having held the CEO role since 2017.
Maloney commented on O’Neill’s appointment: “Alison is an exceptional leader and culture carrier. She brings valuable investment knowledge across industries and sectors to her role as CIO, as well as deep conviction in the firm’s long-term focused investment platform.
“During her nearly 20 years with the firm, she has been involved in hiring and mentoring many members of the investment team, and has collaborated with leadership across the department to help enhance our investment platform.
“Alison is a fantastic teammate in the truest sense of the word, and we look forward to her bringing her unique experience and perspective to MFS’ management committee.”
MFS was founded in 1924 and has US$575 billion ($876 billion) in assets under management as of 30 November.
