The asset management arm of New York-listed BMO Financial Group has created a new Swiss-focused role within its European distribution team.

BMO Global Asset Management has hired Rochus Appert as senior sales director for German speaking Switzerland.

Appert joins after a decade with State Street Global Advisers where he was most recently head of intermediary business and SPDR exchange-traded funds in Switzerland since 2008.

Based in Zurich, Appert takes on the newly-created role to lead the distribution of the firm’s range of products in the German speaking regions of Switzerland. He will work alongside Swiss-based sales director Andrea Astone and report to the head of European wholesale distribution, Georg Kyd-Rebenburg.

“We are glad to have Rochus onboard at what is a very exciting time for BMO Global Asset Management and our expansion across Europe. His significant sales experience along with his understanding of the wholesale market will be invaluable as we look to expand the distribution of our current products and when we launch our ETFs to European investors,” said Kyd-Rebenburg.

The new hire follows that of BlackRock's Luis Martín Hoyos, who joined in September as head of sales in Spain ahead of BMO Global Asset Management's launch of an office in Madrid.