The group of fixed income managers collectively oversees more than $7.5 billion of assets under management spanning a range of strategies in government and corporate credit.

Franklin Resources, the US-listed organization operating as Franklin Templeton, has acquired the investment-grade credit team of Aviva Investors in the US.

The team members include senior portfolio managers Josh Lohmeier and Michael Cho who will be joining Franklin Templeton Fixed Income. In addition, Tom Meyers, previously Aviva’s head of Americas client solutions, will join FTFI in a newly-created role as senior vice president, senior director of investments and strategy development, fixed income. Meyers, Lohmeier and the full investment team are expected to join by the end of 2021. 

Lohmeier and Meyers will report to Sonal Desai, chief investment officer at FTFI, and the investment team will continue to report to Lohmeier, Franklin Resources said in a statement yesterday. 

The group oversees more than $7.5 billion in institutional asset under management at Aviva across its suite of investment grade credit strategies, including US investment grade credit, US long duration credit, US long duration government/credit, and US intermediate credit, with additional customized versions of each strategy for various institutional clients. 

Aviva clients will continue to have their assets in these strategies run by the team.

Lohmeier brings more than 18 years of investment management industry experience, including 12 years as a portfolio manager. He served as head of US investment grade credit and portfolio implementation for fixed income at Aviva Investors and investment officer for the North American region. Meyers brings over 35 years of experience in the sector. He has served as executive director, head of the Americas client solutions group for Aviva Investors.

“Bringing this experienced team aboard will complement our existing credit capabilities by further deepening our expertise in investment grade credit, strengthening our research and analysis resources, and expanding our strategy offerings and capabilities further into the institutional marketplace, with a special focus on defined benefit and liability-driven investing,” said Desai. “I look forward to working with Josh and the team to bolster and differentiate our investment grade credit offerings, and with Tom to bring this messaging to our clients and consultants, especially in the institutional arena.”

Franklin Templeton Fixed Income has $156 billion in assets under management.