Robeco poaches ETF head from Fidelity

The Dutch asset manager has appointed Nick King, previously head of ETFs at Fidelity International, ahead of the launch of its ETF platform.

Before joining Fidelity, King spent eight and a half years at BlackRock, where he finished up as a senior ETF portfolio manager.

Robeco is working to launch its first ETF in the second half of 2024.

The decision regarding the markets (including Australia) in which Robeco will launch ETFs has not been made.

Further, the exact strategies to be wrapped are still to be determined; however, the focus is that the ETFs will wrap Robeco's intellectual property in line with its key strengths of sustainability, quant investing, thematics, credits and emerging markets.

According to Robeco's strategic product and business development head Ivo Frielink, ETFs have been under consideration for a while, given their growing popularity and versatility.

Frielink said the firm recognised that ETFs present a major opportunity to package strategies, complementing existing capabilities offered through mutual funds and mandates.

"We are very pleased to welcome Nick to Robeco as Head of ETFs. His extensive experience in ETFs and his commitment to innovation align perfectly with Robeco's strategic vision and research-driven approach.

"We are confident that under Nick's leadership, Robeco can successfully wrap its investment expertise and strategies into a comprehensive ETF lineup."

King said he looked forward to" leading the charge" and leveraging his experience to drive innovation and success in this rapidly evolving space.

"Together with the talented team at Robeco, I am confident that we can make a meaningful impact on the future of ETFs."

In a LinkedIn post, King said after eight years of leading the build-out of the ETF platform at Fidelity, it is time for a new challenge.

"It is a privilege to have had the opportunity to build the ETF business from scratch with the support of a great organisation with an incredible brand and relationships," he said.

"I look forward to seeing the continued growth of the capability that we have built together."