AllianceBernstein has appointed Bob Sharma as head of insurance for Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

He will oversee the investment firm’s strategic relationships with insurance clients, and will be based in the London office.

Chief investment officer of insurance Geoff Cornell says the firm has a “long history in insurance, and the sector continues to be a key market … It has a sophisticated client base with a growing interest across a wide range of products and solutions.

“We want to accelerate our growth in the sector and we believe our solutions fit well with client appetite. This appointment ... is the latest example of the firm’s strategic focus on insurance.”

Mr Sharma joins from Wellington Management, where he has been for almost 20 years, most recently as head of Europe, the Middle East and Africa insurance.