Richard Watts is Chief Investment Officer EMEA & Global Head of Investment Solutions at Columbia Threadneedle Investments. He joined the company in November 2021 following the acquisition of BMO’s EMEA asset management business. Richard is responsible for overseeing Columbia Threadneedle’s investment function in the region, building on our strong established approach and capabilities.

Previously, Richard was Chief Investment Officer of BMO Global Asset Management. During his 16 years with BMO GAM and predecessor firms, he held a range of senior roles including co-Head of Investment for BMO GAM EMEA, Head of Fixed Income, Head of Investment Solutions and Head of Liability Driven Investment.

Prior to this Richard worked for eight years at Investment Bank JP Morgan where he worked in the interest rate derivatives business both in London and New York. He has worked in the financial services industry since 1997.

Richard holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Exeter.