AXA Investment Managers has named James Gledhill as head of high yield and deputy head of credit within its global fixed income team.

Gledhill succeeds Hannah Strasser as leader of AXA’s US credit team, based in Greenwich, Connecticut. Strasser has decided to leave the company; details of her next role have yet to emerge.

Gledhill most recently worked for Henderson Global Investors in London, where he was responsible for a range of bond funds. He joined Henderson after its acquisition of New Star Asset Management, where he had been head of fixed income since 2007.

In his new role Gledhill will report to Theodora Zemek, global head of AXA fixed income, and Graham Nicol, head of the fixed income credit department.

AXA Framlington, which specialises in equity fund management, has also brought in new blood in the past week with three appointments: Linden Thomson as healthcare analyst, and Amanda O’Toole and Paul Birchenough as analysts and portfolio managers.

AXA had €511 billion (about $730 billion) in assets under management at the end of March 2011, and its fixed income capability had €274 billion.