Loomis Sayles announces senior loan portfolio manager retirement

All senior loan portfolios will continue to be co-managed by portfolio managers John Bell and Michael Klawitter, who have been members of the team for 17 and 16 years, respectively. The team oversees approximately $10.7 billion1 in institutional and retail assets for global clients.

“Kevin has embodied Loomis Sayles’ values of collaboration, humility and prudent risk-taking every day since he and John joined us in 2001,” said Kevin Charleston, chief executive officer. “Kevin and John are considered pioneers in the bank loan market and their efforts have led to clients entrusting us with the management of more than $10 billion in bank loan assets. We are grateful for Kevin’s contributions to our firm, and to bank loan investing, and wish him the best in retirement.”

Until his retirement date, Kevin will continue in his leadership and portfolio management roles to ensure a seamless transition and provide continuity for clients. There will be no changes to the team’s style or investment philosophy.

“A hallmark of our senior loan team is that it is comprised of tenured investment professionals with deep expertise in the bank loan market, and we are confident in the team’s experience and ability to carry this legacy forward,” said Jae Park, chief investment officer. “Under John’s continued leadership, we believe the team is well-resourced and positioned for additional success.”

John joined Loomis Sayles in 2001, with Kevin Perry, to build the firm’s bank loan capabilities. John and Kevin were among the first non-bank buyers of bank loans and their work pre-dates the first bank loan index, which began in 1992. The team began managing bank loans in a conservative style, and later expanded to include several more flexible and structured products. Michael joined the team in 2002, became portfolio manager on a variety of strategies in 2016 and was named portfolio manager on the remaining products earlier this year.

The team will continue to receive considerable support from Cheryl Stober, who, as product manager, has extensive knowledge of the team’s portfolios and the bank loan market, and takes a very active role in client service, prospecting and marketing. Cheryl joined Loomis Sayles in 2005, and moved to the senior loan team as a portfolio analyst in 2007. She was promoted to product manager in 2013.