Former Aviva UK Life general counsel Monica Risam has today (29 January) joined wealth planning services company Lombard International Assurance as GC for Europe.

Lombard International, which was founded in 1991, is owned by private equity powerhouse Blackstone. It has about €74.6bn (£65.3bn) in assets under administration with headquarters in Luxembourg and Philadelphia.

Risam will lead a multidisciplinary team, including the legal, regulatory affairs, company secretariat, risk and compliance functions. She has also joined the executive committee and will be involved in developing and implementing the company's growth strategy, while reporting into European chief executive Axel Horger.

Horger said: "Her experience will be indispensable to us at a time of ongoing and rapid regulatory and fiscal change across Europe. Her global outlook will be a considerable asset to Lombard International as we continue to grow our business internationally in an increasingly complex environment."

Risam left FTSE 100 business Aviva in November 2017 after six and a half years with the company. While GC for Aviva UK Life, which was formed through a merger in 2015 with life insurance group Friends Life, she led a team of 60 people.

Prior to being promoted into that role, she was GC for Aviva Group for just under three years. She joined the insurance company as GC for Aviva Europe from GE Capital, where she was GC for the company's Working Capital Solutions business.

Previously, Risam joined GE Capital in 2004 as special markets counsel before becoming UK GC in 2007 for just over two years. She made the move in-house after working at Weil Gotshal & Manges for nearly four years.

During her time at Aviva, Risam, alongside group GC Kirsty Cooper, was instrumental in setting up the insurance giant's panel in 2013 when eight firms were appointed to its core panel.

Tim Vickers, who led the general insurance legal team, left at the same time as Risam.

Aviva subsequently brought together its UK life assurance and UK general insurance business. Former Bupa UK legal director Alison Gammon joined in October to head up the combined UK insurance legal team.