T. Rowe Price welcomes head of impact fixed income

T. Rowe Price has named a head of impact fixed income, promoting Matt Lawton to the newly created role.

Lawton, who manages the Global Impact Credit Strategy and the Global Impact Short Duration Bond Strategy, takes on the newly created role to provide unified leadership and strategic direction for the impact fixed income investment team.

The new lead will continue managing the two funds but will also oversee the impact fixed income separate account business.

Joining T.Rowe Price 16 years ago, Lawton's background is in impact investing and portfolio management.

T. Rowe Price Australia country head Darren Hall said: "Matt's leadership will facilitate a cohesive approach in extending our impact fixed income expertise and strengthening our strategic engagement with clients in Australia, thereby enhancing our support for their sustainable investing goals."

Head of emerging markets Samy Muaddi said Lawton's proven investment track record and commitment to expanding the firm's impact fixed income capabilities make him perfectly suited for this role.

"He'll be working in close collaboration with Willem Visser, sector portfolio manager for emerging markets and impact fixed income, and more broadly with our responsible investing, impact equity, and fixed income research teams," Muaddi added.

Four years ago, T. Rowe Price expanded its impact range and launched its first impact credit strategy, the Global Impact Credit Strategy. 
Last year, it introduced the Global Impact Short Duration Bond Strategy.

The asset manager said that, together, these strategies aim for both benchmark outperformance and measurable impact.

In addition, T. Rowe Price and IFC, a member of the World Bank, announced plans to create a pioneering global blue bond strategy to increase access to finance for blue projects in emerging markets.