Active equity specialist and Legg Mason affiliate Martin Currie has promoted Kimon Kouryialas and Mel Bucher, appointing them as heads of global distribution to spearhead a worldwide growth drive.

The two heads will be responsible for developing the firm’s global distribution platform, building on Martin Currie’s presence in key markets including the US, Europe, the UK, Australia, Asia and the Middle East. They will also work closely with Legg Mason to achieve growth and a greater presence in retail markets.

The promotions come following the appointment of Julian Ide as chief executive officer earlier this year, who formerly led Martin Currie’s global distribution.

Previously, Mr Kouryialas was head of distribution, APAC and the Middle East at Martin Currie.  Based in Australia, he established offices in Melbourne and Singapore with a focus on both retail and institutional clients. He initially joined Martin Currie in 2008 from Legg Mason, where he was managing director.

Prior to his new appointment, Mr Bucher was head of distribution, Americas for Martin Currie, and was responsible for institutional and retail markets in the US, Canada and South America. He previously led Martin Currie’s North American institutional sales and client service team.

Commenting on the promotions, Mr Ide said: “Martin Currie is a global business with clients on four continents, a growing presence in US and a leading position in Australia where we have a blue-chip institutional client base as well as market-leading income capabilities. It is an exciting time to promote Kimon and Mel to their new roles as we seek to grow and develop the business globally, with a particular focus on retail.”

He added: “Martin Currie has an exciting strategy for growth, which has been recognized in some major institutional wins in 2019. Mel and Kimon have been instrumental in this success and I am delighted that they will make greater contributions in their new roles."