Franklin Templeton, one of the largest independent asset managers globally with offices in major financial markets, has announced the appointment of Gaurav Sharma as the new solutions portfolio manager for  the Central, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) region at the Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions (FTIS). 

 

Based in Dubai, Sharma will report to Peter Vincent, Head of Client Solutions, CEEMEA, Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions.

 

In his new position, Sharma will play a key role in client engagement and the development of tailored investment solutions, leveraging his extensive multi-asset knowledge to support portfolio construction, business development, and client relationship management across institutional, retail, and digital channels within CEEMEA region.

 

Sharma joins Franklin Templeton from Standard Chartered Bank, where he served as Investments Director, Middle East. 

 

In that role, he was responsible for the bank’s managed investments strategy, product lifecycle management, and the launch of the first feeder fund solutions in the UAE. 

 

Prior to SCB, Sharma held various roles over the last decade working for regional and international financial services companies. 

 

He holds an MBA from S P Jain Center of Management and a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication from YMCA Institute of Engineering. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.

 

Lauding the appointment, Vincent said: "I am delighted to welcome Gaurav to Franklin Templeton, and I look forward to working closely with him. He joins us at a pivotal time when we are witnessing a significant rise in demand for custom investment strategies across the region."

 

"Gaurav’s deep expertise in multi-asset solutions will be invaluable as he partners closely with our distribution teams/business partners to support the growth of tailored multi-asset solutions across key markets," he added.

 

Sandeep Singh, Head of Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India at Franklin Templeton, said: "Hiring locally for the investment solutions team underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional investment strategies and growing our solutions and Outsourced CIO business in the region. Gaurav will work closely with our teams on strategic partnerships, including our recent end-of-service gratuity initiative."

 

On the key appointment, Sharma said: "Franklin Templeton is a respected global asset manager with scale and resources. In the Middle East, the firm is known for being an early entrant within the global asset management industry, having operated in the region for approximately 25 years and serving some of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, central banks, family offices and global private banks based locally."

 

"It is an exciting time to join the firm, and I am looking forward to contributing to the company’s success in the region," he added.-TradeArabia News Service