Legal & General Group Plc has announced today that António Simões has been appointed as the new group chief executive officer, subject to regulatory approval.
Simões will formally assume his new role on 1st January 2024, succeeding Sir Nigel Wilson, the Group’s CEO since 2012.
Simões brings to Legal & General an extensive background in financial services, having most recently served as regional head of Europe at Banco Santander since September 2020.
His portfolio there included leadership over Santander’s businesses in the UK, Spain, Portugal, and Poland, with responsibilities spanning retail and commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth management, and insurance.
Before his tenure at Santander, Simões spent 13 years at HSBC in various leadership roles, including CEO of UK and Europe, and CEO of Global Private Banking. His professional journey also includes a stint as a partner at McKinsey & Company.
The appointment comes after an exhaustive global selection process managed by Sir John Kingman, group chair. In the interim period leading up to Simões’s official start, Sir Nigel Wilson will continue in his current role, concentrating on executing the Group’s strategic goals.
There will be a comprehensive handover to ensure a smooth transition. Simões will join the Board of Legal & General Group plc upon his appointment, at which time Sir Nigel will step down from the Board.
Chairman Sir John Kingman expressed his enthusiasm for Simões’s appointment, lauding his “formidable leadership track record” and his “energy, ambition and clarity of strategic thinking”. Simões’s appointment, he stated, underscored Legal & General’s commitment to its stakeholders and to playing a positive role in society.
For his part, Simões expressed pride in his appointment, praising Legal & General’s “iconic, highly respected brand, strong financial track record, and deep-rooted commitment to social purpose”.
He acknowledged the industry’s need to adapt to emerging technologies, societal changes, and economic forces, and conveyed eagerness to work with the Board and Legal & General’s team to meet these challenges head-on.
