Wermuth Asset Management has announced the appointment of Maarten van den Belt as Partner and CEO for Russia. Van den Belt brings substantial Russian financial sector experience to Wermuth, having held senior positions at financial institutions in Russia over a period spanning more than 12 years.

Commenting on the appointment, Jochen Wermuth, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer, said: “Wermuth has more than a 10 year history as an independent investment firm focusing on Russia and Eastern Europe. We maintained our commitment to the Russian market through the recent crisis, and have come out even stronger for it. We are continually expanding our presence here, attracting some of the best talent in the market, as we build the leading independent investment advisory firm in Russia.”

Van den Belt joined Wermuth AM from VISA International in Moscow, where he served as CEO for Russia. Before VISA International, he was Chairman of the Board for WestLB Vostok. Prior to that, he spent seven years at Raiffeisen Bank, working for three years as Deputy General Manager in the Moscow office and four years as General Manager in London. Before joining Raiffeisen, van den Belt spent eleven years with ING Bank in Amsterdam, London and Tokyo.

Maarten van den Belt said: “I am extremely pleased to have joined the Wermuth team at such an exciting stage in its development in Russia. There are very few independent advisory firms that can boast the same level of insight into the Russian and global financial market as Wermuth, and I look forward to contributing to the firm’s future growth in Russia.”