Orchard Street chairman steps down

Chris Bartram will retire as chairman of the London-based investment manager at the end of March.

Orchard Street Investment Management’s chairman, Chris Bartram, will step down from his role and become an advisor to the London-based investment management firm at the end of March.

Bartram was a founding partner of Orchard Street when it was established in 2004. Orchard Street has grown from around £800 million (€1.1 billion; $1.2 billion) assets under management, to more than £4 billion under Bartram’s watch.

“Starting as a very small group, and working together closely, I believe that we can all be proud of the business we have grown which has established a strong performance track record and industry-wide reputation,” Bartram said about his time at the firm, adding that “the happiest and best” moments of his career have come while in charge of Orchard.

Orchard’s managing partner, Philip Gadsden, will take on Bartram’s chairman responsibilities and described his new role as “a real privilege”.

The change at the top comes shortly after NAB Asset Management, the wealth management arm of National Australia Bank, purchased an almost 75 percent stake in Orchard Street.