Charities specialists are flavour of the month

Scotland's fund managers and private brokers have been adding charities specialists. Is more hiring on the way?

Diane Wilde, formerly of Aberdeen Asset Management, has joined Scottish investment firm Gerrard. Her former employer has launched three new charities funds and announced a new head of its charities division. And Edinburgh-based Cornelian Asset Managers has bolstered its charities arm with June Jessop from Adam & Co.

Wilde told The Scotsman that times are changing in the charities universe: "The recent introduction of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 means that trustees need to be more accountable than ever."

Richard Fletcher, head of Edinburgh-based search firm Fletcher Jones, says more hiring could be on the cards. "Charities management is becoming more institutionally based and people are getting more focused on charity clients. It may yet lead to recruitment."