Legal & General appoints European chief of Columbia Threadneedle Investments to lead investment arm

UK insurer Legal & General PLC (LON:LGEN) has appointed Michelle Scrimgeour, the European chief of Columbia Threadneedle Investments, as chief executive of its investment management unit.

She will succeed Mark Zinkula, who will step down as head of the £1tn division in August after eight years in the role.

Scrimgeour has nearly two decades of experience in the asset management industry. The 55-year-old started her career at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers before joining BlackRock in 2006 as chief operating offer of international fixed income.

She became chief risk officer of M&G in 2012 and then joined Columbia Threadneedle Investments as the head of Europe, Middle East and Africa in April 2017.

Legal & General chief executive Nigel Wilson said: "I am delighted Michelle is joining us to lead the next phase of LGIM's growth both with our existing UK clients and internationally.

“Her successes at Columbia Threadneedle, M&G and BlackRock clearly demonstrate that she combines a capacity for managing and growing a very substantial international asset management business with a strong focus on creating sustainable and scalable operations.”