Franklin Templeton says that Christian Machts, head of Germany and Austria, will continue to ramp up hires through 2026 as the business targets growth in the region.
The company is recruiting several specialists for its key account business. Sven Langenhan will start as head of Wholesale – Germany on 1 February 2026, and Peter Kuhl will take up his new role as head of Fund Buyer Business – Germany on 1 January 2026. Further appointments will follow.
Kuhl will be based in Frankfurt and coordinate with the client coverage teams in Germany, he will be responsible for developing and executing a focused client-centric strategy for major fund-of-funds platforms, wealth
managers and other key allocators, ensuring they can access the full breadth of Franklin Templeton’s global
investment capabilities, including mutual funds, ETFs and alternative solutions.
Kuhl will work closely with Franklin Templeton’s long-tenured sales director Martin Rheinländer, who recently transitioned into his new role as head of Product Strategy – Germany & Austria, while continuing to manage
some key client relationships. Andrea Novella, client service specialist for fund buyers will report into Kuhl, who in turn will report to Langenhan.
Machts commented: “The fund buyer segment is strategically important for our growth ambitions in Germany. Peter brings a rare combination of deep client relationships, product expertise and strategic thinking. His experience working with leading German fund selectors and his strong track record in delivering solutions across active, passive and alternative strategies make him an excellent fit for this role. I am confident that Peter will help us further expand our market presence and deliver even more value to our clients and partners.”
In the area of institutional sales, the company is targeting expansion of the sales team under Marie Keil-Mouy, head of Institutional – Germany.
Plans are also in place to enlarge the ETF sales team active in Germany and Austria, and Franklin Templeton is currently seeking an experienced senior sales person here.
Martin Bechtloff – senior ETF sales specialist (vice president, ETF Distribution) and with Franklin Templeton since 2022 – will primarily focus on the strategically important channel of online brokers in the future, which is seen as an important route to the growing customer base of digital savvy investors that are particularly interested in ETFs.
