MUMBAI, 20 JULY, 2022 (GPN):

Franklin Templeton is pleased to announce the appointment of Christian Bucaro as Head of Retail* for Asia and Felicity Walsh as Managing Director and Head of Australia and New Zealand, effective 1 August 2022. In their roles, both Bucaro and Walsh will be part of the APAC leadership team, supporting Tariq Ahmad and Matt Harrison, Co-Heads of APAC.

Based in Singapore, Bucaro will be responsible for driving the growth of the firm’s retail business in Asia (ex-Japan and India). In this newly created role, he will have oversight and responsibility of existing regional and country teams to develop and implement client solutions and strategies across Asia. Clement Lee, Head of Retail Sales, Southeast Asia and Simon Wong, Head of Retail Sales, Greater China, will both report into Bucaro.

Felicity Walsh, currently Head of Sales at Franklin Templeton Australia and New Zealand, will take on an expanded role as Managing Director and Head of Australia and New Zealand. In her new role, Walsh will provide executive oversight of sales, marketing, client services and product strategy. Leveraging her extensive experience, Walsh will provide strategic direction on business strategy, product innovation and customised investment solutions to cater to shifting client needs in the market. Walsh will continue to assume direct client responsibilities in the Australia and New Zealand markets and continue to act as key conduit to local and global investment teams.

Walsh has been with Franklin Templeton since 2015, initially as Managing Director at K2 Advisors, a Hedge Fund Specialist Investment Management team within Franklin Templeton and then given the broader responsibility of Head of Sales for Franklin Templeton Australia and New Zealand. Prior to Franklin Templeton, Walsh spent eleven years at Towers Watson (now Willis Towers Watson) in the UK and Australia working with some of the world’s largest pension fund and superannuation funds in both markets. She is qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and a Certified Investment Management Analyst.

Bucaro brings with him, over 19 years of experience in retail and institutional business development roles in Europe and Asia. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton, Bucaro was most recently the Singapore CEO and MD, Head of Strategic Distributors Relationships, APAC at BNP Paribas Asset Management. He holds an M.Sc. in Investment Management from Cass Business School, London.

* Subject to necessary regulatory approvals, including Christian’s entry as an Appointed Representative in the MAS Register of Representatives.