Franklin Templeton Canada Announces New Heads of ETF Distribution Business Lines

TORONTO, June 30, 2021 – Franklin Templeton Canada today announced the hiring of Bobby Eng, CIMA, as SVP and head of Platform and Institutional ETF Distribution, and the promotion of Ahmed Farooq, CIMA, CFP, as SVP and head of Retail ETF Distribution, to help further develop and grow its ETF business in Canada. These appointments follow the recent announcement of five ETF launches from the firm’s specialist investment managers, Brandywine Global, ClearBridge Investments and Martin Currie.

“The acquisition of Legg Mason has provided a great opportunity to expand our ETF platform with further capabilities from our specialist investment managers,” said Duane Green, president and CEO, Franklin Templeton Canada. “Over the past four years since we launched our ETF business in Canada, we have grown our platform by launching a wide array of, including some unique, strategies. We are now expanding our ETF team with the hire of Bobby to focus on the platform and institutional areas, and Ahmed, in his newly expanded role, will continue to develop the retail distribution channel, as we strive to meet the intricate needs of our clients.”

Head of Platform and Institutional ETF Distribution
Drawing from more than two decades of financial industry experience, Eng is managing and developing the firm’s platform and institutional ETF distribution strategy in Canada to meet the evolving needs of pension plans, asset managers, endowments and foundations, insurance companies and consultants. He is based in Toronto and reports to Dennis Tew, head of National Sales, Franklin Templeton Canada.

Eng has extensive experience in passively managed and exchange traded products, along with comprehensive knowledge of the Canadian wealth management industry and institutional market. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton, he held senior leadership positions within the ETF industry, including serving as VP, head of SPDR ETFs Canada at State Street Global Advisors. He was also SVP, head of Sales at First Trust Portfolios Canada, and VP, director, head of National Accounts & Strategic Partnerships at BlackRock Asset Management.

Eng is a graduate of Concordia University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a specialization in Finance. In addition to being a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA), he has also completed the Canadian Securities Course (CSC) and the Conduct & Practices Handbook (CPH).

Head of Retail ETF Distribution
Continuing his focus on directing and expanding the success of the ETF business in Canada with investment advisors, Farooq will look to build upon the recent expansion of the ETF product line-up, which now includes investment capabilities and proven sustainability expertise from the firm’s specialist investment managers.

Farooq has 14 years of experience in the ETF industry. He joined Franklin Templeton Canada in 2017 as VP – ETF Business Development in Toronto, and will continue to report into Tew in his newly expanded role.

Prior to joining Franklin Templeton, Farooq spent 10 years at BlackRock Canada supporting the promotion and growth of iShares ETFs. He was previously a senior wholesaler covering Toronto and Ottawa. Prior to that, he managed the internal sales team for the iShares ETF business across Canada and lead wholesaler activities in Atlantic Canada.

Farooq earned his Bachelor of Commerce degree with a specialization in Commerce and Finance, and a major in Economics from the University of Toronto. In addition to earning his CIMA in conjunction with the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, he has completed the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification, CSC, CPH and Professional Financial Planning Course (PFPC).

Franklin Templeton ETFs
Franklin Templeton’s diverse and innovative ETF platform was built to provide better client outcomes for a range of market conditions and investment opportunities. The product suite offers active, smart beta and passive ETFs that span multiple asset classes and geographies. For more details, visit franklintempleton.ca/etf.

About Franklin Templeton
Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. (also known as Franklin Templeton Canada) is a subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN], a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 165 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company brings extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, multi-asset solutions and alternatives. With offices in more than 30 countries and approximately 1,300 investment professionals, the California-based company has over 70 years of investment experience and approximately US$1.5 trillion (approximately CAN$1.9 trillion) in assets under management as of May 31, 2021. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.ca and connect with Franklin Templeton on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and read the Beyond Bulls & Bears blog.