Baring Asset Management, the international investment manager, has named Christopher Mahon as director of asset allocation research.

Mahon joins Barings from London-based Momentum Global Investment Management, part of the South African insurance group Momentum. He is replacing Toby Nangle, who left Barings earlier this year.

Mahon will take up his post next month and be based in London, reporting to Percival Stanion, head of the firm's global multi-asset group and chairman of its strategic policy group.

The Barings multi-asset team, formed in 2002, manages about £7 billion ($11.1 billion) in assets under management, including over £5 billion in the flagship institutional portfolio, the Baring Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund.

In other recent news at the emerging market-focused investment house, the firm announced at the start of the month that it will acquire SEI Asset Korea Co, in a move which it says underlines its strong commitment to Korea - the third-largest market for asset management services in Asia. The deal, for which terms were not disclosed, will add around $6.3 billion to Barings’ assets under management.