Franklin Templeton has named Tay Kim (Tae Hee Kim) as head of its Korea business, with responsibility for spearheading the growth of the company’s business in Korea, overseeing the local distribution teams, and developing business strategy.
Upon securing regulatory approval, Kim, who will be based in Seoul, will also be appointed president and CEO of Franklin Templeton Investment Advisors Korea.
She brings more than 20 years of experience in institutional business development roles within the financial services industry. Prior to rejoining Franklin Templeton, she was country head of Korea at MSCI, a role she held for three years. Previously, Kim also served as head of institutional business at Franklin Templeton Korea, and had held roles in business development and client relationship management at Citibank Korea, and SK Securities.
Kim succeeds Yong-Bae Jeon, who has worked at the firm for more than 20 years, serving as president and CEO for Franklin Templeton in Korea since July 2010. Jeon will transition from his current role to serving as an independent auditor and adviser to the board.
“Kim has significant institutional investment sales and distribution experience, a key part of the firm’s focus on expanding its institutional footprint in the Korean market,” says Tariq Ahmad, head of Asia distribution, Franklin Templeton. “Her leadership skills, rooted knowledge of the Korean market, and demonstrable success in investment sales and relationship management make her uniquely qualified to head our Korean business. Her appointment reflects our commitment to providing global investment strategies and delivering greater value to clients to unlock and capture growth in this important market in Asia.”
