Franklin Templeton has announced the appointment of Thakshi Wijesundara as Senior Institutional Business Director based in Melbourne, Australia.
Wijesundara joins the firm from Northern Trust where she was head of distribution for Australia and New Zealand for the past three years.
Franklin Templeton’s Managing Director and Head of Australia and New Zealand, Felicity Walsh said Thakshi’s appointment reflected the group’s focus on further cementing its presence in the institutional sector as its suite of offerings continues to gain traction.
“Thakshi is widely respected in this market and has deep knowledge of the client base. She will work closely with our team of investment specialists to represent our diverse equity, alternatives, multi-asset and fixed income offerings.
“She brings great experience in the institutional market, and we are excited to have her join the team to further build our institutional sales and client relationship efforts,” said Ms Walsh.
Thakshi has a decade of experience in business development and consultant relations.
Prior to her Northern Trust role where she focused on their quantitative equity platform, she held senior and institutional investment positions at Dimensional Fund Advisors, Blackrock and IFM Investors.
Ms Wijesundara said: “I look forward to continuing to expand my involvement with Australian institutional investors and I am excited by the prospect of representing the comprehensive range of investment strategies offered by one of the most respected names in the industry.
“Franklin Templeton’s welcoming, inclusive, and flexible culture across its global and diverse business is what really makes this firm stand out amongst peers in today’s environment,” noted Wijesundara.