Franklin Templeton Flags Continued M&A Ambition

Editorial Staff

14 February 2023

Franklin Resources, the US group operating as Franklin Templeton, has appointed Leeor P Avigdor as senior vice president, global treasurer and mergers and acquisitions head.

Avigdor will continue to be based in Franklin Templeton’s New York office and report to Matthew Nicholls, EVP, chief financial officer and chief operating officer.

The role highlights how Franklin Templeton puts M&A into its growth strategy. In November 2022, it completed its acquisition of BNY Alcentra Group Holdings from The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, for example. In April last year, the firm also completed its purchase of private equity house Lexington Partners.

Background
Prior to his latest appointment, Avigdor spent the past eight years at Benefit Street Partners, Franklin Templeton’s alternative credit specialist investment manager, where he was a managing director and head of strategic development. He has 20 years of experience in capital markets, M&A, risk management, investor relations and general corporate strategy. Prior to joining BSP, he worked in the investment banking groups at Barclays and UBS where he focused on capital markets and M&A transactions for asset managers and other financial services companies.

“Our Treasury function is essential to Franklin Templeton’s financial foundation and goes hand in hand with leveraging our balance sheet to make investments in support of organic growth and strategic acquisitions as part of the company’s long-term growth plans,” Nicholls said. “Over the past several years, we have been particularly deliberate in further diversifying our investment capabilities and solutions for clients through organic investments and acquisitions.”