This week saw the release of eprivateclient’s ‘50 Most Influential’ list for 2020, which recognises the leading lights of the private wealth industry in the UK and Crown Dependencies. Included for 2020 are two of IQ-EQ’s executive leadership team: Group Chief Executive Officer, Mark Pesco, and Group Chief Commercial Officer, Kevin O’Connell. This is the fourth time both Mark and Kevin have made the list.
Before taking the reins of global investor service group IQ-EQ, Mark had garnered over 15 years in senior leadership positions where he continually drove business growth and led multiple significant acquisitions and integrations. Formerly CEO of international fiduciary provider First Names Group, Mark led its sale to SGG Group in December 2017 through to completion of the transaction in July 2018. Having demonstrated the strength of his leadership, Mark was appointed Group Segment Leader, Private Client of SGG before being named its new Group CEO in January 2019.
Mark has since led the integration of the combined group, which rebranded to IQ-EQ in March 2019. Under his leadership, significant investment has been made in bringing the group together inside as well as out, with the development of a cohesive, people-led company culture and the implementation of new technology and an evolved infrastructure suitable for the enlarged organisation.
Similarly, after more than 20 years in various senior roles at First Names Group, including driving the successful organic growth of the business, Kevin was appointed Group Chief Commercial Officer following the acquisition by SGG in 2018. He is responsible for steering IQ-EQ’s organic growth strategy across its 23 worldwide jurisdictions and over the past year has successfully embedded a global approach to client relationship management as well as driving a number of other service-focused initiatives, all of which are serving to keep IQ-EQ’s organic growth rate above the industry average. He also spends a significant percentage of his time working directly with family offices/private clients across the Group.
Kevin was previously named in the eprivateclient 50 Most Influential list in 2014, 2016 and 2019, while Mark was recognised in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
