Legg Mason bolsters International Product Team

Legg Mason has bolstered its international product team with the hire of John Besley as part of the global group’s strategy to develop ‘next generation’ investment solutions alongside its leading traditional fund proposition.
Following the appointment of Andy Sowerby as Head of Australia in August, Mr. Besley has been appointed to the position of Product Management Director, Australia, to bolster the product strategy and development in the region. He originally joined Legg Mason in June 2013 as Client Service and Distribution Support Manager. Based in Legg Mason’s Melbourne office, Mr. Besley reports into Head of International Product, Jaspal Sagger, in London.
Mr. Besley’s appointment is the latest in a series of strategic appointments designed to support Legg Mason’s focus on developing and managing investment products that address the needs and concerns of investors today and in the future.
Mr. Sagger was appointed earlier this year to head the international product team, moving from his previous role as Head of International Product Strategy. Before joining Legg Mason in 2014, Mr. Sagger was Head of Product EMEA and Head of Product Strategy at HSBC Global Asset Management.
In late 2015 Legg Mason appointed Jeremy Tan as Director, Head of Product, Asia ex Japan. He was previously at Citi Private Bank where he was Director and Global Head of Product Management for Mutual Funds and Single Accounts.
The appointments take the number of professionals in Legg Mason’s international product team to 17. The team is responsible for all elements of the product life cycle including idea generation, business case production and approval, implementation and ongoing product life cycle management.
“We are committed to developing products that address the specific challenges facing investors today. This means we must adapt and enhance our investment management and product development expertise as clients’ needs change. We believe the recent strategic changes to our affiliate line-up and the addition of further resources to our product team perfectly underline this philosophy,” says Mr. Sagger.
“John brings valuable expertise to our Australian team. This enables us to continue our focus on next generation investment products that address the real life challenges facing our clients; challenges that are not always well-catered for by traditional investment approaches.”
Mr. Besley commented: “Legg Mason’s commitment to building innovative, client centric, investment solutions marks it out as one of the most progressive businesses in the industry. I am delighted to assume this role at an exciting time for the group as well as the wider market.”