After 20 years as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Loomis, Sayles & Company, Robert J. Blanding has decided to transition his CEO responsibilities to Kevin Charleston, President, effective May 1, 2015. Bob Blanding will retain the Chairman position and actively participate in the strategic direction of the organization.
“Having partnered with Kevin, Jae and each individual on our management committee for over a decade (and some for many more), I have every confidence in our ability to work collaboratively for the future growth and success of Loomis Sayles.”
“This is the right time to transfer my day-to-day responsibilities as CEO,” said Bob Blanding. “I’m proud of the work of our management committee and tremendously confident about its ability to continue delivering the quality of services that our clients have come to expect.”
Bob became Chairman and CEO in April 1995 after joining Loomis Sayles in 1977. During this time, he has transformed the organization structurally and significantly extended its global reach. Bob oversaw an increase in assets under management from $38 billion (in April 1995) to $240 billion today.
“It has been a privilege,” said Dan Fuss, Portfolio Manager and Vice Chairman, “to work in partnership with Bob to meet our goal — superior investment results for our clients — while providing a vibrant, supportive environment for our employees. I am pleased that we will continue to benefit from Bob’s guidance as Chairman.”
Dan also expressed his full confidence in the leadership of Kevin Charleston and Jae Park, Chief Investment Officer (CIO) who oversees all of investment management. “Having partnered with Kevin, Jae and each individual on our management committee for over a decade (and some for many more), I have every confidence in our ability to work collaboratively for the future growth and success of Loomis Sayles.”
Jae Park joined Loomis Sayles in 2002 from IBM where he was Director, fixed income investments. Kevin Charleston joined Loomis Sayles in 2000 as Chief Financial Officer and was named President in April 2014.
“I am honored to assume my new role. Bob Blanding has set an outstanding example for me,” said Kevin Charleston. “Our definition of success remains the same – the achievement of consistently strong investment results for our clients. As CEO and President, I will continue to partner closely with Bob, Dan, Jae and the rest of the leadership team to deliver those results.”