GB: David Waller takes AFME post

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has appointed David Waller as director of external relations.

Waller, who previously served as director of comms for fellow hedge fund GLG Partners before its acquisition by Man, will assume his role at the trade body for the European investment banking industry in November. Waller joined GLG Partners after two years with City agency Maitland. Previously he was group head of external relations at insurance giant Allianz Group and has held senior comms posts at investment banks JP Morgan and Dresdner Kleinwort. Before this he spent eight years as a journalist at the Financial Times and has published two historical biographies.

Deborah Botwood Smith, who has been director of external relations on an interim basis since March, is to take up a new role at AFME as director of marketing.

Previously the external relations post had been held on an interim basis by former FT editor and BP and Lehman Brothers comms head Andrew Gowers, who left to take a role at commodities firm Trafigura in March.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe was formed in November 2009 through the merger of the London Investment Banking Association (LIBA) and the European arm of the Securities Industries and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA).

2013
Director of External Relations
2010
Head of Communications
2007
Senior Consultant