Robeco has appointed Nick King from Fidelity to lead its entrance into the European ETF market.
The Dutch asset manager, which has €181bn assets under management (AUM), is planning to launch its first UCITS ETFs in Q2 2024.
The firm will primarily focus on the "nascent" active ETF market which currently accounts for approximately 1.5% of the entire $1.7trn UCITS ETF ecosystem.
It said ETFs have been under consideration for a while amid their growing popularity and versatility as an investment vehicle.
The firm told ETF Stream in a statement: "The notion that ETFs are strictly passive is often misconceived; ultimately, ETFs are simply another vehicle to wrap intellectual property, whether that be via passive or active strategies.
"While the active ETF market in Europe may still be nascent, we believe Robeco can capture growth as an early adopter and provide differentiated products compared with existing ETFs, especially given our sustainable investment expertise."
King (pictured) joins as head of ETFs from Fidelity where he joined in 2015 to also lead the US giant’s push into European ETFs.
Prior to this, he spent nine years at BlackRock between 2006 and 2015 where he held a number of positions, most recently as a senior ETF portfolio manager.
Ivo Frielink, head strategic product and business development at Robeco: “Nick’s extensive experience in ETFs and his commitment to innovation align perfectly with Robeco’s strategic vision and research-driven approach.
“We are confident that under Nick's leadership, Robeco can successfully wrap its investment expertise and strategies into a comprehensive ETF line-up.”
King added: “I am delighted to join Robeco during this pivotal moment in its journey into the ETF market.
“I look forward to leading the charge, and leveraging my experience to drive innovation and success in this rapidly evolving space. Together with the talented team at Robeco, I am confident that we can make a meaningful impact on the future of ETFs.”
The news comes just a week after Cathie Wood's ARK Invest acquired thematic specialist Rize ETF from AssetCo.
