London’sHearthstone
Investments has taken on Kevin Bull as a key account manager to assist the impending
launch of its Property Authorised Investment Fund – the UK’s first residential
property fund.

Specifically, Bull will take charge of commercial negotiations,
such as with platforms, alongside Mark Forman, distribution director, the firm
said in a statement.

The fund is due to launch in the second quarter of the year and will uncover
residential property to investors via their ISAs and SIPPs, with a minimum
investment of £1,000.

Most recently, Bull spent five years as head of strategic
partners at Old Mutual Asset Managers, directing the
distribution of all UK and offshore Old Mutual funds.

Earlier, he was head of third party distribution at Britannic
Asset Managers, having spent the previous nine years in national account
management at Prudential.

In other recent hires at Hearthstone, Darren Stent was appointed
as business development manager last month, while Lucy
Hawkins was added as assistant fund manager for the forthcoming residential property fund
in March.