Aegon Asset Management appoints Global Chief Investment Officer for its Fixed Income Investment Platform

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Jun 30, 2020, 06:45 ET

CHICAGO, June 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aegon Asset Management has appointed Russell Morrison as its new global chief investment officer responsible for managing its $188 billion fixed income investment platform.* Morrison, who joined on June 29, will lead the firm's 140 fixed income investment professionals globally.

Morrison brings over 30 years of fixed income and financial services experience to the role, most recently at Barings (formerly Babson Capital). During his 17-year tenure at the firm he held several senior positions including president & head of fixed income, equities and multi-asset.

Prior to Barings, Morrison held positions in the fixed income divisions at First Union Bank, Ernst & Young Management Consultants and North Carolina National Bank.

Morrison joins Aegon Asset Management at an exciting time in its development, following the successful integration of its Asian, European and US businesses, to form a truly global asset manager under a single management board, led by Bas NieuweWeme as CEO.

The integration brought together its regional investment teams into four distinct investment platforms for fixed income, real assets, equities and multi-asset & solutions, each under a global CIO framework, to manage its $395 billion of assets under management.**

In the new role Morrison will be responsible for the 140 strong team of fixed income portfolio managers, strategists and analysts worldwide, including the 50-member global credit research team. Based in Chicago, Morrison will become a member of Aegon AM's global management board and report to NieuweWeme.

Following Morrison's appointment Kirk Buese, the current interim global CIO for fixed income, will retire from the business after 33 years' service. Buese took responsibility for the platform on an interim basis during the recruitment process, having previously stated his desire to retire this year. He will remain with the business for a short period to ensure a smooth transition.

NieuweWeme said, "Russ has a wealth of experience running multi-geographic teams, managing private and publicly listed fixed income assets for general account and third-party clients worldwide. His appointment to this new role represents the culmination of the integration of our regional-based teams into our global fixed income platform. I would also like to wish Kirk a very long and happy retirement and thank him for leading the global team on the interim basis, but also for his considerable contribution to the business over the last three decades."

"I am looking forward to working with the team at Aegon Asset Management as we look to maximize the full potential of our global fixed income team, bringing their expertise and knowledge to our client across the globe," said Morrison.

About Aegon Asset Management
Aegon Asset Management is the global investment management brand of Aegon N.V. and is a global, active investment manager comprised of several affiliates around the world. Our focus is on excellence in everything we do, working to consistently deliver the performance, service and solutions our clients seek. We believe in strong governance, transparency and clear accountability as the building blocks for trust and long-term relationships with our clients.

Investors worldwide entrust Aegon Asset Management to manage approximately $395 billion on their behalf**. Positioned for success in our chosen markets (Asia, Continental Europe, North America and the UK), Aegon Asset Management's specialist teams provide investment solutions across asset classes.

Through the Aegon Group our heritage stretches back to 1844, meaning we understand the importance of long-term relationships, robust risk management and sustainable outperformance. A long history of partnership with our proprietary insurance accounts has enabled us to establish experienced investment teams, and long-term track records.

Aegon Asset Management is the global investment management brand of the Aegon Group N.V. and is comprised of Aegon USA Investment Management, LLC ("Aegon Asset Management US"), Aegon USA Realty Advisors, LLC ("Aegon Real Assets US"), Kames Capital plc ("Kames Capital") and other Aegon affiliates. Aegon Asset Management US, Aegon Real Assets US, and Kames Capital are SEC registered investment advisers.

*As of March 31, 2020.
**As of December 31, 2019.

For more information about Aegon Asset Management, visit www.aegoninvestments.com.

SOURCE Aegon Asset Management