Felicity Walsh
Franklin Templeton has completed the global integration of Martin Currie’s investment capabilities into ClearBridge Investments. This marks a significant milestone in Franklin Templeton’s business strategy in Australia, reinforcing its commitment to local investors and to Australian based investment capabilities.
This strategic alignment brings together two highly complementary businesses in terms of culture and investment approach and will see Australian Equities and Emerging Markets strategies added to ClearBridge’s existing global equity and infrastructure offering.
Franklin Templeton will now oversee the distribution of the full suite of ClearBridge strategies to institutional and wholesale clients across Australia and New Zealand.
Felicity Walsh, Franklin Templeton’s Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand, emphasised the significance of this integration: “Franklin Templeton’s completion of the Martin Currie integration is a crucial step in our commitment to the Australian market. Bringing together these highly complementary businesses under ClearBridge Investments strengthens our ability to deliver tailored solutions across all segments of the Australian market”.
For the Martin Currie team, being part of ClearBridge Investments means leveraging additional resources and scale, including research capabilities- and expanded trading capabilities. The integration also aligns with their shared commitment to sustainability and ESG analysis.
Scott Glasser, Chief Investment Officer at ClearBridge, highlighted the complementary strengths of the combined investment offering. “We are excited to bring these strategies under the ClearBridge umbrella while remaining true to the investment philosophy that has driven their success. ClearBridge and Martin Currie are highly aligned in investment approach and culture, making this a natural evolution,” Glasser said.
Reece Birtles, now Head of Australian Equities at ClearBridge Investments, reiterated that the quality and integrity of their Australian equity strategies remain unchanged.
“Our clients can be confident that our Australian equity strategies will continue to be managed with the same disciplined process, deep fundamental research and active management approach that have delivered strong outcomes over many years,” Birtles said. “Under the ClearBridge brand, we remain committed to offering a comprehensive suite of capabilities that help our clients achieve their long-term investment objectives.”
Walsh further highlighted the benefits of the integration for Australian investors: “In a rapidly evolving industry, the need for scale, stability and innovation is critical. This integration demonstrates our commitment to Australian investors and our mission to partner with them for long-term success.”