Yaqub Ahmed

Yaqub Ahmed is a Senior Vice President and Head of Defined Contribution and Insurance/Sub-Advisory for Franklin Templeton Investments. In this role he is responsible for overseeing Franklin Templeton's U.S. institutional and advisory defined contribution and insurance sub-advisory businesses and market strategies. His responsibilities include leadership on strategic partnerships/joint ventures, public policy and regulatory matters related to the broader U.S. retirement and insurance markets.

He has over 25 years of experience in financial services, with a focus on the corporate retirement markets. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton Investments in 2009, he served as managing director for Columbia Management's investment-only division responsible for overseeing both the defined contribution and Sub-advisory businesses.

Mr. Ahmed holds a bachelor's degree from Boston University. Mr. Ahmed has been named as one of the "100 Most Influential" in the defined contribution industry by InvestmentWires.com for seven years and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and client forums. He is a member of the DCIIA Public Policy Committee, SPARK Institute Board of Directors, IRI Asset Management Committee, NAPA Leadership Council and the Advisory Board of EACH Enterprise, LLC.