Duncan Robinson Top Executive
Global research and investment strategy leader with a unique blend of macroeconomic vision, quantitative innovation, and client-focused communication. Former portfolio manager and derivatives trader turned patented inventor and builder of scalable research platforms used across multi-asset strategies within a $1.6 Trillion+ USD AUM global asset manager. Known for transforming complex economic and behavioral signals into actionable insights that inform active, index, and ETF portfolios. Relied upon by CIO, senior leadership, and client executives to develop market narratives, long-term outlooks, and high impact thought leadership. Experience engaging RIAs, consultants, and global institutions through differentiated content that drives client engagement, portfolio positioning, and brand visibility. Recognized for fostering collaborative, intellectually rigorous research cultures that bridge investment insight with business impact.
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The views expressed are my own and not of Franklin Templeton.
This material should not be construed as individual investment advice or a recommendation regarding securities investments. All investments involve risk including possible loss of principal.
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Industry:
Financial Services
Headquarters:
Greater Chicago Area
Followers:
12422
Title:
Director of AI & Optimization - Principal Research Scientist
Company:
Franklin Templeton
Company Website:
https://franklinresources.com
Company Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/franklin-templeton/
Company Founded In:
1947
Company Size:
5001-10000
Current Job Duration:
9 mos
Country:
United States
License And Certifications:
Name: UniFi by CAIA™ Digital Assets Microcredential
Authority: CAIA Association
Company ID: None
Date: 1/2025
URL: None
Name: UniFi by CAIA™ Private Debt Microcredential
Authority: CAIA Association
Company ID: None
Date: 7/2023
URL: https://linkedin.com/company/98491
Name: CAIA Charterholder (CAIA)
Authority: CAIA Association
Company ID: None
Date: 4/2013
URL: https://linkedin.com/company/98491
Name: Financial Data Professional (FDP)
Authority: FDP Institute
Company ID: None
Date: 5/2021
URL: https://linkedin.com/company/14068504
Name: Certificate in Applied Econometrics
Authority: National Association for Business Economics (NABE)
Company ID: None
Date: 8/2009
URL: https://linkedin.com/company/5088369
Name: Certificate in Time-Series Analysis and Forecasting
Authority: National Association for Business Economics (NABE)
Company ID: None
Date: 10/2008
URL: https://linkedin.com/company/5088369
Work Experience:
Title: Director of AI & Optimization - Principal Research Scientist
Company: Franklin Templeton
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/franklin-templeton/
Industry: Financial Services
Company Size: 5001-10000
Location: Greater Chicago Area
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 10-2025
Ends At: Present
Description: Advancing the future of investment management through AI, quantitative research, and portfolio optimization - creating lasting value with world-class teams.
Title: Director of Quantitative Insights and Data Science
Company: Allspring Global Investments
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/10236817/
Industry: None
Company Size: None
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 03-2022
Ends At: 10-2025
Description: • Delivered advanced research and data science capabilities on par with the top tier of global asset managers by complexity, breadth, and innovation
• CEO’s Value Award – ‘Making Our Differences the Difference’, Summer'2025
• CEO’s Value Award – ‘Being Bold with Boundaries’, Spring'2023
• Responsible for driving innovation and leading development of quantitative tools and insights
• Lead and manage a team of quantitative professionals and data scientists
• Created firm's first sharable BQUANT app for asset research using transactional alt data
• Co-Lead – Native Peoples Allspring ACG (ERG)
• Lead – Allspring Rep on the SIFMA AMG Government Affairs Committee
• Lead – Allspring Rep on the SIFMA Fintech Committee
• Lead – Allspring taskforce on SIFMA’s response to the SEC’s Predictive Analytics Rules
• Lead – Allspring team to explore the use of LLMs
• Created a global SDG rating system, using ML
• Created proprietary factor suites using fundamental and alternative data
• Created, initiated and led Allspring's first mentorship program
• Co-created firm’s first LLM tool via AWS & HuggingFace
• Created historical analysis tool for specific scenario outcomes – Equity, Fixed Income, Multi-Asset
• Created system to monitor thematic sentiment via LLMs on 60k news sources in 14 languages
• Created system to monitor geopolitical & thematic sentiment for the Market Risk Monitor
• Created system to monitor & flag risks via thematic sentiment & story count for UNGC topics
• Created proprietary factor suites using fundamental and alternative data
• NLP in document classification, summarization, sentiment analysis, factor creation
• Conducted original research, wrote internal thought leadership pieces
• Spoke at conferences, on panels and in webinars
• Awarded ‘Top Machine Learning Voice’
• Awarded ‘Top Economic Voice’
• Awarded ‘Top Research Skills Voice’
• Awarded ‘Top Statistics Voice’
• Awarded ‘Top Artificial Intelligence (AI) Voice’
• Awarded ‘Top Risk Management Voice'
Title: Senior Investment Data Scientist
Company: Allspring Global Investments
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/10236817/
Industry: None
Company Size: None
Location: Greater Milwaukee
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 11-2021
Ends At: 06-2022
Description: • Created a patent-pending system to value alternative data sets using statistical learning techniques
• Developed innovative risk regime models and signals using standard and alternative data
• Developed a proprietary, global quantitative ESG rating system
• Ran point on alternative data set discovery, exploration and vetting
• Understand the alternative data vendor space - met with over 263 vendors over 3 years
• Delivered a competitive IP edge with three patent-pending inventions in two years
• Wrote thought leadership papers
Title: Senior Investment Data Scientist, Wells Fargo Asset Management
Company: Wells Fargo
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wellsfargo/
Industry: Financial Services
Company Size: 10001+
Location: Greater Milwaukee Area
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 06-2018
Ends At: 11-2021
Description: • Created a patent-pending system to value alternative data sets using statistical learning techniques
• Developed innovative risk regime models and signals using standard and alternative data
• Developed a proprietary, global quantitative ESG rating system
• Developed an NLP prototype for bond categorization based on prospectus text
• Delivered a competitive IP edge with three patent-pending inventions in two years
• Wrote thought leadership papers
Title: Senior Trader & Portfolio Manager
Company: Budo Group
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/6497690/
Industry: None
Company Size: None
Location: Greater Chicago Area
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 08-2017
Ends At: 04-2018
Description: • Created suite of programs using machine learning, time series and Monte Carlo simulation
• Developed innovative strategies and regime classification signals - fully own the IP
• Made markets and managed portfolios in several products on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange
Title: Senior Trader - Interest Rate & Commodity Derivatives
Company: Wolverine Trading
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolverine-trading/
Industry: Financial Services
Company Size: 201-500
Location: CME (Chicago, IL)
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 03-2010
Ends At: 06-2017
Description: • Made markets on commodity options, managed risk (portfolios), CME / NYMEX / LME
• Made markets on interest rate options, managed risk (portfolios), Chicago Mercantile Exchange
• Initiated and led several data science projects involving dynamic hedging of commodity portfolios
• Initiated and led several data science projects around tactical portfolio/inventory management
• Served on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Arbitration Committee
• Served on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Appeal Committee
Title: Senior Trader - Index Derivatives
Company: Wolverine Trading
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolverine-trading/
Industry: Financial Services
Company Size: 201-500
Location: CBOE (Chicago, IL)
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 03-2007
Ends At: 03-2010
Description: • Made markets on index options (Russell 2000 complex arbitrage), managed risk (portfolios)
• Served on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Floor Officials Committee
• Served on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Arbitration Committee
• Served on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Appeal Committee
Title: Intermediate Trader - Equity Derivatives - Floor & Specialist Book
Company: Wolverine Trading
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolverine-trading/
Industry: Financial Services
Company Size: 201-500
Location: CBOE (Chicago, IL)
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 03-2003
Ends At: 03-2007
Description: • Made markets on equity options as the Designated Primary Market-Maker (DPM), managed risk
• Made markets on equity options in a variety of CBOE pits / electronically, managed risk (portfolios)
• Served on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) Floor Officials Committee
• Expanded business by entering into new pits and products
Title: Intermediate Trader - Equity Derivatives - Floor & Specialist Book
Company: Wolverine Trading
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolverine-trading/
Industry: Financial Services
Company Size: 201-500
Location: PCOAST (San Francisco, CA)
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 03-2002
Ends At: 03-2003
Description: • Made markets on equity options as the Lead Market-Maker (LMM), managed risk (portfolios)
• Made markets on equity options in a variety of PCOAST pits / electronically, managed risk (portfolios)
• Served on the Pacific Coast Options Exchange (PCOAST) Business & Ethics Conduct Committee
• Expanded business by listing & managing new products in the LMM
Title: Junior Trader - Equity Derivatives - Floor & Specialist Book
Company: Wolverine Trading
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolverine-trading/
Industry: Financial Services
Company Size: 201-500
Location: PCOAST (San Francisco, CA)
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 03-2000
Ends At: 03-2002
Description: • Made markets on equity options as the Lead Market-Maker (LMM), managed risk (portfolios)
• Served on the Pacific Coast Options Exchange (PCOAST) Business & Ethics Conduct Committee
Title: Senior Trading Assistant - Equity Derivatives
Company: Wolverine Trading
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolverine-trading/
Industry: Financial Services
Company Size: 201-500
Location: PCOAST - (San Francisco, CA)
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 06-1999
Ends At: 03-2000
Description: • Made markets on options, managed risk, managed trade-checking & clerk-training functions
Title: Trading Assistant
Company: Wolverine Trading
Company URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolverine-trading/
Industry: Financial Services
Company Size: 201-500
Location: CME & CBOE (Chicago, IL)
Country: None
Employment Type: Full-time
Start At: 01-1999
Ends At: 06-1999
Description: • Apprenticed to market-makers on the CME & CBOE
Education:
School: Northwestern University
Degree: Master of Science (MS), Data Science (Predictive Analytics)
Activities: None
School: Purdue University
Degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA), Decision Science
Activities: None
School: Indiana University Bloomington
Degree: Bachelor of Science (BS), Public Finance
Activities: None
Headline:
Director of AI & Optimization – Principal Research Scientist, Franklin Templeton | AI & Quant Research Leader | Ex-Options Market-Maker & PM | Innovation at Scale