Franklin Templeton has announced a raft of senior appointments across its global distribution network.
Matt Harrison has been appointed head of Europe and UK distribution; Tariq Ahmad is to become head of APAC distribution; Sandeep Singh will be head of Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) and India distribution; and Julian Ide will take on the role of vice chair for EMEA.
“Over the last several years, we have been purposefully transforming and strategically expanding our firm,” said Adam Spector, head of global distribution at Franklin Templeton. “In crucial markets – including the UK, EMEA and APAC – we have made significant strides in growing our distribution channels. Building on this momentum, it is important for us to evolve our leadership talent as we focus on delivering long-term value to our clients.”
The firm said Harrison would be responsible for developing the company’s distribution strategy and further expanding its business across Europe. The distribution leaders in Europe and UK will report to him with immediate effect. He will relocate to London over the next few months and will report to Spector.
Harrison was previously co-head of APAC at Franklin Templeton, based in Sydney. Prior to joining the firm in 2018, he held senior roles at Colonial First State, Commonwealth Bank and ING. He has more than 25 years of experience within the industry and has developed client relationships across multiple markets, including Asia Pacific, Australia, India, Japan and the UK.
Ownership and accountability
As a result of Harrison’s new role overseeing Europe and the UK, Ahmad’s responsibilities have been expanded and he has been named sole head of APAC distribution reporting to Spector. Going forward, Ahmad will have ownership and accountability of APAC strategy to best serve the firm’s clients in a region Franklin Templeton said was critical to its global growth strategy.
Dubai-based Sandeep Singh has been appointed head of CEEMEA and India distribution, also reporting to Spector. Singh was previously head of CEEMEA distribution, overseeing the leadership and development of the firm’s retail and institutional business in the CEEMEA markets. In his new role, Singh will expand his responsibilities to oversee the Indian market.
Both Harrison and Singh take over the distribution responsibilities held by former head of EMEA distribution Julian Ide, who has been appointed vice chair, EMEA reporting to president and CEO Jenny Johnson. In his new role, said Spector, Ide will “engage with senior decisionmakers at the largest global financial institutions in EMEA to cultivate mutually beneficial long-term partnerships”.
