Thomas Runkel, CFA

Tom Runkel is a vice president and portfolio manager for Franklin Templeton Fixed Income. Mr. Runkel focuses on relative value security selection and allocation among the credit sectors for the multi-sector fixed income portfolios. He also serves as the director of portfolio strategies and the lead portfolio manager for the SMA Taxable Fixed Income strategies and supervises the Franklin SMA Taxable Fixed Income Portfolio Management team.

Mr. Runkel joined Franklin in 1983 and served as a senior portfolio manager for Franklin's taxable money fund and investment grade fixed income assets as well as a trader for taxable fixed income and equity securities. Mr. Runkel founded Runkel Funds, Inc. in 2002 and managed a large-cap value fund until late 2005 before returning to Franklin in 2006.

Mr. Runkel has an M.B.A. from the University of Santa Clara and earned a B.S. in political science from the University of California, Davis. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.