UBS's asset management arm has appointed interim leadership for global equity portfolios following the departure.

Nick Irish, head of global equities at UBS Global Asset Management, has left the firm “to pursue other opportunities”.

Irish, based in London, joined the firm back in 2008 as a senior portfolio manager within the core/value equities team, having previously held a similar role for two years at HSBC Asset Management. He has also worked at Schroders.

Charles Burbeck will take over leadership of the global equity team on an interim basis. He previously served as co-head alongside Irish. Before joining UBS Asset Management in 2013, he worked at Barclays Wealth & Investment Management as global head of equities.

“We thank Nick for his service to the firm over the past eight years and wish him all the best for the future. Charles becomes the lead manager on the UBS Global Equity Long Short Fund,” said a spokesperson for UBS.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that UBS had imposed a “partial hiring freeze” at its wealth management business to cut costs, applying to support roles rather than advisors.