The asset manager, owned by Mass Mutual, has initiated a change in its leadership structure for North America with immediate effect.
Ilena Coyle will assume her role as Head of North American Insurance and Intermediary, while Graham Seagraves will take on the position of Head of North American Institutional and Consultant Relations. Together, they will jointly oversee the firm’s regional strategy to expand Barings’ strategic relationships with existing and potential clients, reporting to Global Head of Distribution, Neil Godfrey.
Coyle and Seagraves will work at Barings’ headquarters in Charlotte, where they will strategically oversee and expand a team of 25 distribution professionals in key regions across North America.
“We are thrilled to welcome Graham to Barings and to congratulate Ilena on her promotion, as we continue to deepen our partnerships with institutional, insurance, and intermediary clients, working closely with the investment teams to support the firm’s long-term growth goals,” said Godfrey.
Seagraves joins Barings from Russell Investment Group, where he held senior distribution roles for over 18 years, most recently serving as Managing Director and Head of Client Solutions for its Institutional Americas business.
“His extensive experience managing institutional client relationships also includes previous positions at OFI Institutional Asset Management and Global Distribution Strategies,” the firm’s statement adds.
“Barings has a strong track record of providing customized investment solutions to clients, and I am excited to collaborate with Neil and Ilena to shape and execute our North American distribution strategy in order to grow the platform, deepen client relationships, and drive third-party asset growth,” Seagraves stated.
Coyle, meanwhile, has worked in the industry for over 15 years, including at MetLife Investment Management, where she was a member of the Institutional Client Group before joining Barings six years ago. “Her expanded role will build on her deep knowledge of the firm and her experience within the distribution team, where she has been responsible for overseeing Barings’ third-party insurance relationships,” the firm added.
“At Barings, our goal is to be long-term trusted partners and to meet the evolving needs of existing and potential clients by leveraging our broad and deep expertise across all asset classes,” Coyle said.
