The former L&G investment chief, who had covered the role on an interim basis since January, permanently replaces Tom Beal and joins the Group Executive Committee
St. James’s Place has confirmed Justin Onuekwusi as CEO, Investments, making permanent a role he had held on an interim basis since January. He succeeds Tom Beal, who has been on compassionate leave since the end of last year and has decided to move on from the wealth manager. Onuekwusi will now join SJP’s Group Executive Committee on a permanent footing.
In the expanded role, Onuekwusi will lead SJP’s Investment Directorate, with responsibility for investment strategy, fund governance, platform innovation and the group’s discretionary fund management activities through SJP Investment Management. He joined SJP as chief investment officer in October 2023 following a decade at Legal & General Investment Management, where he was head of retail investments for EMEA and head of retail multi-asset funds. He brings more than 20 years’ experience to the role, with earlier spells at Aviva Investors, Merrill Lynch and Aon.
The appointment follows a strong period for SJP’s Investment Directorate. The group expanded its Polaris offering with the launch of the Polaris Multi-Index range in October 2025, and the full Polaris range passed £100bn in assets in March 2026. SJP’s half-year results in July showed investment returns representing 16.4% of opening funds under management on an annualised basis.
Mark FitzPatrick, chief executive of St. James’s Place, said: “Justin has had an enormous impact since joining St. James’s Place in 2023, having quickly established himself as a leader and role model for colleagues. This has included playing a significant role in strengthening our investments proposition, a key differentiator for clients that sets St. James’s Place apart. I’m excited to continue working with Justin and our talented teams to further build our investment capabilities.” He also thanked Beal “for the contribution he has made to our Investment Directorate over many years.”
Onuekwusi said: “Over the past three years we have built a stronger, broader investment proposition for clients, strengthened our investment capabilities and continued to evolve the SJP fund platform… Looking ahead, we will continue to focus on investment excellence, innovation and delivering the best possible outcomes for clients.”
For advisers and clients invested through SJP’s fund range, the appointment provides continuity at the top of the investment function during a period in which Polaris has become a significant part of the group’s proposition, with Onuekwusi’s priorities set out as further developing the Polaris range, strengthening platform governance and resilience, and continuing to build out SJP Investment Management as the group’s discretionary arm.
