Sam Shelton has been appointed as managing director of Fortuna Asset Management Communications.

Shelton, who has been with the firm since 2016, brings nearly a decade of experience in financial and asset management PR. He has worked closely with boutique asset managers, fintechs, cryptocurrency firms, private markets clients and fund selectors to help them communicate with clarity and confidence in a sector often overshadowed by much larger players. Over the years, he has played a key role in shaping Fortuna's media relations approach, growing its client base, securing consistent high-quality coverage, and developing bespoke campaigns that reflect each client's unique values and story. Commenting on his appointment, Shelton said: "Fortuna has always stood out to me for its belief in the value of independent thinking. I've worked alongside our chairman and founder, John Morgan, for nearly a decade, and I'm proud to build on the reputation we've established together as one of the most trusted names in boutique asset management PR. Boutique firms have powerful stories to tell - they just need the right support to be heard. That's what we're here to deliver."

M&G Investments has confirmed two new appointments following the retirement of Claudia Calich.

Charles de Quinsonas will take over as head of emerging markets (EM) debt, while Carlos Carranza has been appointed as senior EM debt fund manager, joining in October from Allianz Global Investors. De Quinsonas has more than 15 years of experience in EM debt investment, with a decade-long track record of managing various EM Debt blended, sovereign, and corporate bond funds. This expertise is backed by a deep understanding of high-yield credit, a key asset in a space where many issuers are sub-investment grade. Meanwhile, Carlos Carranza - a dedicated Latin America specialist - brings more than 20 years of investment experience, having begun his career as an EM debt analyst at JP Morgan in 2005, where he remained until 2021. At M&G, Carlos will manage local and hard currency sovereign debt strategies, leveraging his expertise in hard currency, sovereign, local rates and foreign exchange. Commenting on the changes, M&G fixed business chief investment officer, Andy Chorlton, said: "Charles has consistently demonstrated his investment acumen across M&G's blended, sovereign and corporate EM bond funds in the past decade. His 12-year partnership with Claudia and his contribution to the team's growth provide continuity of leadership for our emerging market strategies. This appointment is testament to our succession planning, enabling the team to navigate this dynamic part of the fixed income universe to provide superior investment performance to our clients." On the departure of Calich, he added: "In Claudia, we're not just bidding farewell to an exceptional fund manager, but to someone who has been deeply dedicated to nurturing and mentoring the next generation of investment talent. She will be missed – we thank her for her immense contribution, not only to M&G but to the industry as a whole, and wish her well for her retirement."

Sackers has retained two graduate solicitor apprentices as qualified associates for the first time.

Eisha Lal and Mollie Kilfoyle have both qualified as associates after completing their apprenticeships with the firm. They are the first to go through its graduate solicitor apprenticeship programme, which commenced in January 2023 and offers an alternative route into the legal profession. The programme combined on-the-job training with guided, independent study and skills coaching delivered by the University of Law. Sackers' senior partner, David Saunders, said: "Our graduate solicitor programme offers aspiring lawyers, who may have been experiencing barriers to entering the profession, an alternative route to qualification as a solicitor. This flexible pathway to "earn while you learn" makes the route to qualification much more accessible for a wider pool of highly capable and gifted young people. During their two and a half years at the firm, Eisha and Mollie have gained experience in a broad range of pensions areas and specialisms and have demonstrated themselves to be excellent solicitors. I congratulate them on their achievement and look forward to them continuing their career with us here at Sackers."

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