DSP BlackRock MF's President Naganath quits; fund house reshuffles key roles

S Naganath, President and Chief Investment Officer at DSP BlackRock Investment Managers has quit the fund house after working for almost 15 years with the firm. The fund house has now reshuffled the roles of the key management officials.

With immediate effect, Kalpen Parekh, Joint President takes over as President; Anup Maheshwari, Head - Equities, takes over as Chief Investment Officer - Equities and Pankaj Sharma, Head - Fixed Income, takes over as Chief Investment Officer – Fixed Income, the fund house said in a statement.

While Chief Administrative Officer Ramamoorthy Rajagopal takes over as Chief Operating Officer, Aditi Kothari Desai continues to head Sales, Marketing and e-Business division.

Naganath worked with DSP BlackRock Investment Managers (previously called DSP Merrill Lynch Fund Managers) from its inception in 1996 to October 1999 as Chief Investment Officer. He then worked for Credit Suisse Asset Management, New York as a portfolio manager for international equities before re-joining DSP BlackRock Investment Managers in 2002 as Joint President and Chief Investment Officer.

Prior to his initial position at DSP BlackRock Investment Managers in 1996, Naganath had worked in Hong Kong as a portfolio manager with Merrill Lynch Asset Management and GT Management, Hong Kong.

“I have been privileged to lead a talented and experienced team of professionals at DSP BlackRock and am immensely proud of what we have achieved together. DSP BlackRock has a strong brand profile in the industry and the team has contributed enormously to building a solid foundation for the firm. I would like to wish the team all the very best for the future,” Naganath said in a statement.

Hemendra Kothari, Chairman, DSP BlackRock Investment Managers Pvt. Ltd., said “I have known and worked closely with Naganath over the past two decades and will miss his inimitable humble and understated style. As head of DSP BlackRock, he helped build a unifying culture that set the foundations of our success today. Looking ahead, I am confident that Kalpen, Anup, Pankaj, Aditi and Ram will continue to add impetus to the pace of growth enjoyed by our business and assets.”