IMN, a global content platform focused on institutional finance and the host of ABS East, today announced the launch of the Fixed Income Investor Network (FIIN), a members-only industry network for institutional investors in the structured finance and specialized credit marketplace.

FIIN will provide investors with an independent and unbiased forum for investor education, discussion and advocacy. The network will also provide an opportunity for investors to share ideas and innovations for improving the fixed income industry, as well as advise on the editorial direction for structured finance-related conferences, media content and other public campaigns. FIIN board members will set the agenda for all network activities.

“It’s time for buy-side investors to come together and chart the future direction of the fixed income industry,” said Alessandro Pagani, the inaugural chairman of FIIN and Portfolio Manager/Co-Head of Mortgage and Structured Finance at Loomis, Sayles & Co. “We believe FIIN will be an effective vehicle for that conversation, bringing together diverse voices and opinions, and providing a transparent forum to help solve shared problems and challenges.”

The founding board members for FIIN will include representatives from some of the largest institutional asset allocators to asset-backed securities, including Charles Schwab, Eaton Vance, Grantham Mayo, Loomis, Sayles & Co., Napier Park Global Capital and PGIM Investments. Additional members will come from other asset managers across a range of firm sizes, geographic focuses, and fund strategies.

“IMN is a leader in investor education through its events and content offerings, and we are committed to continuing to fulfill that role through the establishment of FIIN,” said Jim Muller, Executive Director of FIIN. “We believe there is a critical need for an intrinsically non-conflicted organization that is investor-driven and investor-focused. FIIN will provide a public platform for fixed income investors, adding an important voice and more balance in the debate about the future of fixed income markets.”

FIIN will meet four times per year, with the inaugural meeting to be hosted at IMN’s 24th Annual ABS East Conference, which is scheduled for September 23-25, 2018 in Miami.