Insider to lead Fidelity's asset management unit

BOSTON Dec 1 (Reuters) - Fidelity Investments appointed company veteran Jacques Perold to lead the mutual fund giant's $1.4 trillion asset management division, a Fidelity spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Perold, chief operating officer of the asset management division since May, succeeds Michael Wilens, who moved to the firm's retirement division, company spokeswoman Anne Crowley said.

This is the latest in a string of changes at Fidelity this year as the privately held company recovers from the financial crisis, which forced it and many rivals to cut jobs and make other changes to attract new business.

Both Perold and Wilens are members of Fidelity's Executive Committee.

Wilens joined Boston-based Fidelity in July 2008, filling a position that had been previously held by Robert Reynolds, now head of Putnam Investments. (Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss; editing by John Wallace) ((Svea.Herbst@Reuters.com; +1 617 856 4331; Reuters Messaging: svea.herbst.reuters.com@reuters.net))