Franklin Templeton Investments has appointed Yaqub Ahmed as Investment-Only division head, responsible for defined contribution (DC) and variable annuity (VA) investment-only (IO) sales platforms. Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, Mr. Ahmed will report to Robert Geppner, senior vice president and national sales manager for US Advisory Services.
Mr. Ahmed has over 15 years of experience in financial services, with a focus on retirement sales. He most recently served as managing director and national sales manager for Columbia Management’s investment-only division. Prior to that, he was managing director and national sales manager for Trustar Retirement Services and has held positions at MFS Retirement Services and Pruco Securities.
In Franklin Templeton Investments, he will lead a dedicated team of wholesalers focusing on the IO business. Mr. Geppner said: Franklin Templeton is committed to strengthening its presence in the DC and VA investment-only businesses. Yaqub Ahmed brings a tremendous amount of experience to his new role and will leverage Franklin Templeton’s strength in these growing markets.
San Mateo, California-based Franklin Resources provides global and domestic investment management solutions managed by its Franklin, Templeton, Mutual Series, Fiduciary Trust, Darby and Bissett investment teams.
