Investment firm Franklin Templeton has appointed Robert Crossley as its vice-president of industry advisory services for the regions of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific, a role in which he will partner closely with the regional distribution leadership teams to help drive sales by providing actionable intelligence and insights on the future of the investment and wealth management industry for the firm and its clients.

In particular, he will focus on how existing and nascent industry trends are reshaping the competitive landscape for clients through thought leadership as part of the Franklin Templeton Institute.

Crossley joins the company from Citi where he was a managing director and worked for the last 17 years in a number of roles, including in business advisory services and global macro and European rates strategies. Prior to Citi, Crossley worked as a proprietary trader amd fixed-income portfolio manager in risk management and corporate treasury.

“Crossley brings a wealth of experience and has an extensive network of senior relationships across Europe and Asia,” says Sandy Kaul, senior vice-president of global industry advisory services. “He is very talented at connecting industry events and developments that resonate with clients who are looking for investment solutions to grow their business.”