Bernstein hired a top equity sales trader in London, and possibly one other

SocGen's Bernstein joint venture with Alliance Bernstein is executing a strategic hiring campaign in London's equities space, recruiting senior talent to bolster its cash equities and sales trading capabilities. The venture confirmed the hire of Tristan Hedley, an equities sales trader who spent 11 years at Berenberg before departing on July 1, 2026. Hedley was considered a prominent figure at his previous employer, and his move signals Bernstein's intention to strengthen its institutional cash equities franchise.

Beyond Hedley, multiple sources indicate that Katrina Pattemore, a seasoned equities trader who quietly exited BNP Paribas in late 2024, is expected to join Bernstein as a high-touch sales trader based in London. While neither Pattemore nor Bernstein have formally confirmed the appointment, industry sources widely anticipate the move in the near term. These hiring decisions reflect a deliberate effort to build out a senior-level sales trading team capable of servicing institutional asset managers with customized execution services.

The talent acquisition forms part of a broader strategic repositioning under SocGen CEO Slawomir Krupa. Beyond equities hiring in London, SocGen has recruited 20 professionals for cash prime brokerage expansion and is actively building quantitative investment strategies and systematic equity dispersion capabilities—a strategy that involves shorting index volatility while maintaining long positions in individual stock volatility. These moves underscore management's ambition to revitalize the equities business after lackluster financial performance. In Q1 2026, SocGen's equities sales and trading revenues rose less than 5.5%, substantially underperforming Citi's 38% growth in the same period.

SocGen initiated the Bernstein joint venture with Alliance Bernstein two years ago with a stated goal of acquiring full ownership by 2029. The venture began operations with 750 employees focused on cash equities and equity research. Earlier in 2026, it implemented significant job reductions in France, and the current London hiring campaign appears to reflect a strategic geographic and capability rebalancing rather than pure headcount expansion.