Jan-Markus May and Manuel Canas have joined as senior portfolio managers while Philip Fielding has been appointed as a portfolio manager.
The team is London based but will be supported by the Hong Kong-based members of First State’s existing global fixed interest and credit team.
It will focus on hard currency sovereign and corporate debt as well as local currency debt markets.
May joined First State last month from UNIQA Financial Services in Vienna, where he was senior portfolio manager of the Emerging Markets Debt fund. Prior to that he was at Dresdner Bank in Frankfurt.
Canas has moved from ING Investment Management where he was senior investment manager within the emerging markets debt team and focused on local currency debt. Before that he worked as portfolio manager and senior economic analyst at Bano Central de la Republica Argentina.
Finally, Fielding has moved over from F&C Asset Management where he was portfolio manager for segregated mandates in the emerging markets debt team as well as lead analyst for central Europe.
All three new recruits will report to Helene Williamson, First State’s rencently appointed head of emerging markets debt.
Williamson said: "With Jan-Markus, Manuel and Philip in London, and research input from our Asian fixed income specialists in Hong Kong, First State has established a team with very strong investment capability in Emerging Markets debt."
First State estabilshed the emerging markets debt team in August and poached Williamson from F&C Asset Management, where she was head of emerging market debt for over 15 years.
