Fresh boardroom change at Standard Life Aberdeen

Standard Life Aberdeen’s chief investment officer is to step down as an executive director of the board, the financial giant has announced.

Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management merged in 2017. Picture: Graham Flack

Rod Paris will step down as an executive director on 31 December while remaining as the company’s chief investment officer and a key member of its executive leadership team. He will continue to report to chief executive Keith Skeoch.

With vice-chairman Martin Gilbert not seeking re-election to the board at SLA’s annual shareholder meeting in May next year, the board will comprise chairman, seven non-executive directors and two executive directors – Skeoch and chief financial officer, Stephanie Bruce.

Chairman Sir Douglas Flint said: “Rod joined the board as chief investment officer at the time of the merger between Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management in August 2017, to ensure the board had a direct link to the critical process of integrating the investment businesses and processes of the two firms.

“With that integration largely complete and with his continuing presence at board meetings, both Rod and I agreed that the timing is now right, particularly in light of improving investment performance, for him to step off the board to concentrate all his attention on leading the Standard Life Aberdeen investment function of 1,400 experts globally.”