SWIP Continues To Add To Fixed Income Team

Wendy Spires

12 October 2012

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership has bolstered its fixed income team with the addition of Neil Tong as a senior credit analyst.

In his new role Tong will be based in Edinburgh, reporting to Laurent Frings, head of credit research, as part of SWIP’s UK and European credit team under the leadership of Daniel McKernan. Specifically, Tong will be responsible for industrial sector research, with a focus on maximising the return in fixed income funds.

Tong joins at the end of this month from Alliance Trust, where he was most recently the manager of its UK Equity Fund and desk head. Before his 16-year tenure at Alliance Trust he worked for General Accident in roles including head of fixed interest and unitised funds.

In other related hires, SWIP recently appointed Calum Smith to the newly-created role of head of global aggregate within its fixed income team.

On taking up his new role on 22 October Smith will be responsible for driving the strategy and performance of SWIP’s global aggregate capability in both the retail and institutional markets. He will be based in Edinburgh, reporting to Graeme Caughey, global head of rates.

Smith joined SWIP from BlackRock, where he was most recently a director and senior fixed income strategist, having been with the US asset management giant for over a decade. In this role he advised the firm’s European clients on fixed income issues such as investment strategy and portfolio reviews.

SWIP’s fixed income team currently manages £67 billion ($107 billion) in fixed income and cash assets, as at end-June. Overall, SWIP has £138 billion under management.