BNP Paribas Asset Management (BNPP AM) has appointed Mark Richards as Head of Flexible & Absolute Return within its Multi-Asset, Quantitative & Solutions (MAQS) investment division. Richards is based in London and reports to Maya Bhandari, Global Head of Multi-Asset. 

In his new role, Richards will be responsible for the performance of BNPP AM’s flexible and absolute return funds and ensuring the alignment of portfolios with the views of the Investment Committee. He will also work closely with the other teams within MAQS to exchange investment ideas, as well as contributing to the development of the broader MAQS product range as it expands its innovative offering.

Richards has joined from Jupiter Asset Management, where he was a senior fund manager responsible for identifying and implementing key investment themes across a range of flexible and multi-asset strategies. Prior to Jupiter he held buy-side strategist roles at JP Morgan Asset Management and PIMCO, and sell-side strategist roles at Credit Suisse and ING, having begun his career as an economist at Lombard Street Research.  Richards holds a BSc in Business Economics from the University of Surrey.