William Blair Investment Management has confirmed the appointment of an addition to its Emerging Markets Debt (EMD) team, with Johnny Chen joining as a portfolio manager.Chen joins William Blair from NN Investment Partners, where he was a portfolio manager responsible for Asian rates and currencies for the company’s pan-Asian and Global Emerging Market Debt portfolios. He previously worked at ING Investment Management. Chen has an MSc in Financial Computing and a BSc in Economics from the University College London (UCL).
In his new role, Chen will focus on Asian sovereign debt markets. The appointment further strengthens William Blair’s emerging markets debt investment capabilities, and follows the appointment of a specialist EMD team, led by Marcelo Assalin, CFA, and Marco Ruijer, CFA, in January 2020.
“Johnny has been an important member of our team, contributing to our strong track record, and we are delighted that he has joined us at William Blair,” says Marcelo Assalin, CFA, Head of Emerging Markets Debt at William Blair Investment Management. “His extensive experience and insights into Asian sovereign debt markets will be invaluable as we develop our offering and seek to deliver alpha for clients.”