Franklin Templeton has appointed a new head for its institutional clients in Southeast Asia ex-Malaysia.
Sweta Dugar will be responsible for expanding the institutional business in the region, the investment manager said in a press release Monday. She will be based in Singapore and will work with existing teams in the region to develop client services and strategies, the release said.
BlackRock Veteran
She has 16 years of experience in institutional business development roles in financial services, the release said. Before joining Franklin Templeton, Dugar was with BlackRock and the Capital Group Companies, where she worked in business development and client relationship management of institutional clients in Asia, including Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, India and in the frontier markets, the release said.
Tariq Ahmad, head of Asia distribution at Franklin Templeton, pointed to Dugar’s previous success in sales and relationship management.
«Sweta will be spearheading our efforts for our institutional business, not only in key Southeast Asian markets such as Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines, but also frontier markets where we see opportunities. Her strong background in alternatives also underlines our commitment to growing this important segment in Asia,» Ahmad said in the statement.
Experience in Alternatives
In addition, the investment manager said it named Richard Surrency, who is currently the head of alternatives for Asia, to the newly created role of head of relationship management and client services in Asia. Surrency, who will be based in Singapore, will be responsible for relationship management and business development strategies for retail and institutional clients in the region, the release said, adding he would support Ahmad on the firm’s alternative strategy.
Ahmad pointed to Surrency’s more than 20 years of industry experience at multiple global investment companies.
«I am confident that his experience in alternatives, his wide network of relationships across asset owners, and his ability to engage with clients at all levels of their organizations to understand their investment needs, will prove invaluable,» Ahmad said.
Both Dugar and Surrency will report to Ahmad, the investment manager said.
