Robeco has enlisted Candriam’s head of emerging market debt Diliana Deltcheva along with co-portfolio managers Richard Briggs and Nicholas Sauer to expand into emerging market debt.
The hires will be followed by the launch of a hard currency strategy and a local sovereign debt strategy in the second half of the year.
Deltcheva became an EMD fund manager in 2006 and has been head of EMD at Candriam since 2015. She also spent four years as a senior emerging fund manager at F&C Investments.
Briggs joined Candriam in 2022, becoming co-manager of the Candriam EMD HC sovereign strategies and lead manager of the Candriam Emerging Markets Debt Local Currencies strategy. He holds almost 15 years of experience in emerging markets, with focus on Latin America, Africa and Asia.
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Sauer also holds near 15 years of experience in emerging markets, with time at BMO Asset Management before becoming co-portfolio manager of the EMD HC sovereign strategies at Candriam in 2019.
Mark van der Kroft, chief investment officer at Robeco, said: “Expanding in EMD is a logical step for Robeco, as it combines two of our key strengths: investing in emerging markets and our expertise in fixed income.
“This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our fixed income capabilities. These appointments and the expansion of our offering with an EMD capability, enable us to better serve our clients and capitalise on the opportunities present in this dynamic asset class.”
Robeco has been involved in emerging markets for over 30 years, and the emerging market debt avenue is part of the company’s 2021-25 strategy. It currently has fixed income offerings in emerging markets across Asian bonds and EM credits.
“Robeco has a long-term fundamental view on emerging markets, a grouping of constantly evolving and highly diverse countries at different stages of development,” van der Kroft added. “A long-term view is vital to uncovering the structural drivers in emerging markets, which together with our quant and sustainable investing capabilities allow us to harness the wide range of emerging markets opportunities.”
