The UK investment manager has made four appointments to the London-based team.

Royal London Asset Management has expanded its global high yield team with the appointments of a new fund manager, a senior credit analyst and two assistant credit analysts, in preparation for the launch of its Multi Asset Credit Fund.

The fund, aimed at institutional clients, will comprise a directly invested, globally diversified portfolio concentrating on the “alternative” part of the credit universe. Asset classes will include secured and unsecured high yield debt, loans, asset-backed securities and emerging market debt.

Khuram Sharih has been appointed as fund manager, focusing on leveraged loans and alternative credit. He joins from Newton Investment Management, where he worked within the fixed income and global multi-asset teams. He was previously a senior credit analyst at Cairn Capital.

Sebastien Poulin joins as a senior credit analyst, focusing on both high yield and leveraged loans. He joins from Principal Global Investors where he covered high yield and leveraged loans. He previously worked at Newton Investment Management.

Meanwhile, Gary Ewen and Tom Elliott will serve as assistant credit analysts. Ewen was an investment analyst at Mercer and Elliott was a high yield credit analyst at Debtwire.

“This significant expansion of the global high yield and leveraged loans capability at RLAM signals our commitment to offer clients a diversified approach to investing in credit. We think this is particularly valuable in an environment where government and corporate bond yields are at an all-time low,” said the company's head of global high yield, Azhar Hussain.