The Association of Investment Companies has appointed Ian Sayers as director general of the association effective from 1 January 2010.  

Sayers has been acting director general of the AIC since Daniel Godfrey left the association at the end of July 2009.

Carol Ferguson, chairman of the AIC, says: “On behalf of the board, I am delighted that Ian has accepted this position as he has done an outstanding job for the AIC. Ian’s intellectual rigour and specialist knowledge have already been an enormous benefit to the AIC. He has been instrumental in many of the association’s victories, particularly the VAT case win, which benefited the industry to the tune of GBP40m a year.  The board is confident that Ian will lead the AIC forward to future successes.”

Sayers adds: “I am extremely honoured that the board has decided to appoint me as director general and look forward to taking up the role next year. Despite a difficult start to the year for markets, the association is in a strong position with its membership close to an all time high, thanks to our continued strong representation amongst UK investment trusts, and increasing membership from offshore investment companies, venture capital trusts and AIM listed investment companies.”

Sayers joined the AIC in November 1998 as technical director and was promoted to deputy director general in 2005. He has been heavily involved in the AIC’s pubIic affairs and lobbying activities and has extensive experience in providing technical advice to the AIC’s members and their managers on taxation, accounting, company law and regulation. 

Previously Sayers worked at Ernst & Young, where he was a tax manager in the investment management group specialising in investment trusts.