Abrdn boss leaves 'disemvowelled' fund giant
Abrdn boss Stephen Bird is leaving the CEO role with immediate effect, after a four-year run in charge in which shares tumbled, funds underperformed and the firm was ‘bullied’ for the ‘disemvowelled’ rebrand that Bird oversaw. Bird, who joined in 2020 from Citigroup, led Abrdn during a difficult period as much cheaper index funds have made Abrdn’s offering of active funds look much less attractive. The shares are down 50% since February 2021 and the majority of Abrdn’s assets underperformed their benchmarks over the past three years.