US-based investment manager Pimco has appointed Craig Dawson as the firm’s head of Europe, Middle East and Africa (Emea) divisions.
Dawson will relocate from the US to London and replaces Bill Benz, who retires in June after 30 years at the company.
Dawson is a managing director at the firm and head of strategic business management and will become responsible for the firm’s business in the Emea region.
Dawson joined Pimco in 1999, and has held leadership positions across various parts of the firm. Previously, he was head of Pimco’s business in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, and product management head for Europe.
Douglas Hodge, managing director and chief executive officer at Pimco, said Benz is “perfectly placed” to build on the business that Dawson has built in Emea.
Pimco has been rocked by a spate of senior departures from the firm in recent times, the most famous being ‘bond king’ Bill Gross’s move to Janus Capital in September 2014. Last year the firm also lost its chief economist Paul McCully although he was promptly replaced by heavyweight Joachim Fels, Morgan Stanley’s chief economist.
The firm is also bringing together an all-star team for its advisory board, including former Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke and former UK prime minister Gordon Brown, who will advise on economic and political issues.
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