Standard Life Aberdeen: ‘Gilbert going nowhere’

Martin Gilbert

The co-founder and former Aberdeen Asset Management (AAM) chief executive, now vice-chairman of SLA, had been linked with the chairmanship at the challenger digital bank Revolut, via reports in the Financial Times that SLA has now said are “inaccurate”.

A spokesman for SLA said: “Standard Life Aberdeen notes the recent media speculation regarding Martin Gilbert.

“This speculation is inaccurate. If the company had any announcements to make as regards its executive team, then it would do so through the proper channels.

“As policy we don’t comment on rumour and speculation.”

Mr Gilbert, 64, became co-chief executive of SLA after the £3.8 billion merger of Standard Life and AAM in 2017.

He shared the top job with Keith Skeoch until earlier this year.

SLA announced a change of role for the north-east entrepreneur as a result of a restructure of its executive positions in March that saw the end of the unusual dual CEO setup.

That announcement came after grumblings that Mr Gilbert was spreading himself too thin, having also a position of senior independent director of UK–Swiss multinational commodity trading and mining company Glencore and chairman of the Prudential Regulation Authority’s practitioner panel.

Additionally, he is a member of the International Advisory Panel of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the International Advisory Board of British American Business.