Martin Currie, the Edinburgh-based equity fund manager owned by US giant Legg Mason, has overhauled its top investment team with the departure of John Pickard, head of investment, after eight years.

Pickard, who joined Martin Currie in 2010 from UBS, where he led its European equity teams in Zurich, has been put on gardening leave and is to formally depart the firm by the end of the year, the firm said today.