Caroline Baron has joined as head of ETF sales Emea to support the firm’s global ETF roll out across Europe, alongside the Franklin Libertyshares range, which launched in September last year.
The Libertyshares range was listed on the Deutsche Borse and London Stock Exchange in September last year, on the Italian Borse in February and on the Six Swiss Exchange earlier this month.
The firm said this was in line with its commitment to the European market and it will be evaluating future additions to its range.
Baron will be responsible for generating and retaining assets within the Libertyshares product suite. Having joined the London office on 29 January, she will work closely with the Franklin Templeton Global and European ETF team and engage with ETF investors directly.
Previously, Baron was head of UK distribution focusing on smart beta strategies at Invesco Powershares, and prior to this, director of wealth at Blackrock iShares.
She will report to Franklin Templeton managing director Vivek Kudva.
Kudva said: “Her extensive background in the ETF space and in-depth knowledge of factor investing make her an ideal candidate for this role. We look forward to working with Caroline as we continue to grow our ETF business.”
Franklin Templeton said it currently has 45 ETF products globally, five of which are in Europe.
However, the firm told our sister publication Portfolio Adviser that it is currently focused on providing investors in Europe with more investment choices, specifically through access to its range of smart beta ETFs.
Patrick O’Connor, head of global ETFs, said: “Caroline’s appointment […] further demonstrates our commitment to building our ETF offering across Europe.
“Our Franklin Libertyshares platform aims to help investors achieve specific investment outcomes such as strong risk-adjusted returns, lower volatility and downside protection. As ETFs continue to grow in popularity and importance, we plan to continue to meet investor needs and broaden our capabilities in the region.”
