James Charrington has probably seen more change at BlackRock than most of his colleagues, having worked for the New York-headquartered firm long before it evolved into the asset management powerhouse it is today.

The industry veteran, who retires from BlackRock later this year, joined the firm in 2006 through its acquisition of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers — one of the first major deals struck by what is now one of the sector’s most prolific acquirers.