Paul Collins says he joined Franklin Templeton Investments back in 2004 because he wanted to work for one of the biggest, most diverse global asset managers in the world.
With more than €727 billion in assets under management, the Franklin Templeton Investment group is in the top 15 fund managers globally.
With a combined AUM larger than Invesco, Axa IM and T Rowe Price, the group has made considerable investment in developing a substantial trading operation.
For the EMEA region, Paul Collins is the man tasked with overall management of trading. He overseas the EMEA equity trading desk in Edinburgh which is comprised of nine people and a further two in Dubai who look after the Middle East and African markets. Between both desks, they monitor trades in 40 counties and run six days a week.
Most recently, the company has completed two projects analysing the efficiency, consistency and value it receives from its preferred trading venues and brokers.
The Order Audit Trail (Oat) and Execution Audit Trail (Eat) projects concluded at the end of 2015 in preparation for the work that will continue within the business in preparation for implementation of measures from the Markets In Financial Instruments Directive II (Mifid II).
He started his trading career at Baillie Gifford & Co in 1991 before moving to Aegon Asset Management in 1997.
Collins, now 46, joined at the opening of the European Trading Desk in Edinburgh in September 2003 as a senior trader, and subsequently took over the role of regional head in 2007.
Four years ago, Franklin Templeton acquired Algebra Capital in Dubai. It provided local expertise in MENA which, alongside the firm’s global emerging markets exposure across the Middle East and Africa, gave the business the opportunity to be one of the first global investment companies to have a full trading presence in the region.
For Collins, there are three areas which are key to the role of a trader. Firstly, they need to add value to the overall investment process by being fully embedded in it and taking a collaborative approach. They also need to achieve best execution for clients as well as effectively monitoring and managing trading risk.
“The key to achieving these is a combination of a great team of traders equipped with the right tools and the right technology,” he explains.
“At Franklin Templeton Investments, we are fortunate to have both elements as an integral part of the trading function and we continuously aim to be at the forefront of trading technology to enhance our overall performance.”
Collins’ team’s work on execution monitoring and idea generation has previously been recognised at The TRADE’s own Leaders In Trading awards.