Investment management firm Franklin Templeton Investments has entered into an agreement to acquire Edinburgh Partners Limited. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2018.
Jenny Johnson (pictured), president and chief operating officer of Franklin Resources, Inc. says: “We’re pleased to announce the acquisition of Edinburgh Partners, an established global value investment manager, and to welcome back Dr Sandy Nairn to our organization. Dr Nairn worked alongside the late legendary global investor, Sir John Templeton, and was employed by Franklin Templeton for more than a decade. He brings a tremendous amount of leadership experience and expertise in managing global and international equities, an area that continues to be of strong interest to our clients around the world. This is the latest example of the firm continuing to make strategic investments in relatively small, yet highly experienced asset management teams that complement Franklin Templeton’s global offerings.”
Nairn will become chairman of Templeton Global Equity Group and remain investment partner and CEO of Edinburgh Partners. He will report to Stephen Dover, Franklin Templeton’s head of Equities.
Based in Edinburgh, with an office in London and two in the United States, Edinburgh Partners is an independent fund management company that invests globally with an emphasis on absolute returns over a long-term time horizon. Its team of 12 investment professionals are highly regarded within the international asset management industry, with a combined average tenure of 22 years managing four distinctive strategies. Edinburgh Partners manages approximately USD10 billion as of December 31, 2017 in global and emerging markets equities.
“Dr Nairn and his experienced team will be an excellent addition to our global equity capabilities,” says Dover. “As chairman of Templeton Global Equity Group, Dr. Nairn will bring many new insights to share, having run his own firm for the last 15 years, while also drawing upon his in-depth knowledge of the Templeton investment philosophy and process from his many prior years with the group. We look forward to having Dr Nairn and his team join our strong line-up of investment groups.”
Nairn says: “I am very excited to be coming back to Templeton, the company that gave me my great appreciation for global investing. My team and I are deeply familiar with the history and strong reputation of the broader Franklin Templeton organization, and we’re pleased to join such a well-regarded firm. I look forward to sharing my perspective and experience with the Franklin Templeton organization. The access to Franklin Templeton’s extensive global resources will allow me to focus my time on investment management, as we continually seek to bolster our investment process and enhance our clients’ experience.”
