Hermes confirmed Thursday that Neil Williams will be packing up from the London office and moving to New Zealand with his family at the end of 2017.
However, he will be working as a senior economic advisor to the asset manager remotely, the fund group added.
Meanwhile, Hermes has begun recruiting for another experienced economist to work alongside head of investment Eoin Murray, Williams and the wider business.
The new economist will be responsible for providing macroeconomic analysis and commentary, non-standard macroeconomic modelling, as well as developing relationships with key central banks and monetary authorities, the firm has said.
Williams, who is also a member of the PA investment panel, began his 30-year career in finance with a bang, becoming the youngest ever head of economic policy at the Confederation of British Industry.
Before joining Hermes, he held a number of senior positions, such as director of bond research at UBS Investment Bank, head of research at Sumitomo Finance International and head of sovereign research and strategy at Mizuho International.
