# Franklin Templeton adds to RIA distribution team and widens product focus URL: https://www.financialadvsr.com/article/franklin-templeton-adds-to-ria-distribution-team-and-widens-product-632f4f Published: October 29, 2026 By: Grant Whitmore, Moves Correspondent Section: Moves Publisher: Financial ADVSR (https://www.financialadvsr.com) InvestmentNews reported that Franklin Templeton has expanded its RIA distribution team under Dan Muzzarelli, who is prioritizing ETFs, alternatives and direct indexing. Dan Muzzarelli moved into a broader role at Franklin Templeton on October 1, and InvestmentNews reported on October 29, 2026 that the firm has since expanded the team that sells to registered investment advisers. The outlet's account is based on an interview with Muzzarelli taken at the Schwab IMPACT conference in Boston. InvestmentNews also reported that the firm is looking to push further into exchange-traded funds, alternative investments and direct indexing. Muzzarelli is now the firm's head of RIA and platform distribution. According to InvestmentNews, he previously served as global head of ETF distribution. In the interview he described the expansion as a way to meet clients where they are. No Franklin Templeton press release on the expansion surfaced in our research, so the description of the move rests on Muzzarelli's remarks as InvestmentNews reported them. On team size, InvestmentNews reported that the RIA distribution group had 13 territory-based salespeople when Muzzarelli started the role, and that five more have joined since. Those reported figures would bring the group to 18. That total is our arithmetic from the two numbers, not a figure Muzzarelli stated. The reporting did not say how the new hires are divided across territories or which of them are new to the firm. Muzzarelli also told InvestmentNews that Franklin Templeton offers more than 1,000 products in the United States. He said the firm is consolidating and expanding its product lineup, and that it has been cautious about converting multiple funds into one. The focus areas named in the piece are alternatives, direct indexing and ETFs. Franklin Templeton is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and its parent is Franklin Resources, Inc., whose shares trade on the NYSE under the ticker BEN. According to finews, Jenny Johnson is president and chief executive. An InvestmentNews company profile, which is undated, puts the headcount at about 10,000 employees globally and more than 5,400 in the United States. A Franklin Templeton firm release put the firm's ETF platform at about $63 billion globally as of March 20, 2026. A Franklin profile of Muzzarelli indicates that his previous employer was the iShares unit of BlackRock, that he held sales and trading roles at Merrill Lynch and AIG before that, and that he has an MBA from the University of Florida. The RIA push has a history of its own. RIABiz reported in 2020 on Franklin's acquisition of AdvisorEngine, a technology platform for advisers, from WisdomTree. Wikipedia says that deal was completed in September 2022. In May 2023, Franklin added Candice Kemeny and Jared Abert to its alternatives distribution team covering the RIA and bank trust channels, according to a BusinessWire release. An SEC proxy statement describes the firm's regionally focused sales model as including more than 1,500 professionals, a count of sales staff rather than advisers. The reporting does not give timelines for further hires, product launches or changes to the lineup. Readers should watch for the next round of distribution announcements and any product consolidation Franklin confirms. Key facts: - Muzzarelli became head of RIA and platform distribution on October 1, according to InvestmentNews. - RIA distribution had 13 territory-based salespeople when Muzzarelli started, and five more have since joined, per his remarks to InvestmentNews. - Franklin Templeton offers more than 1,000 products in the U.S., according to Muzzarelli. - Franklin's ETF platform had about $63 billion globally as of March 20, 2026, per a firm release. Why it matters: Distribution teams that cover RIAs shape which products and platforms independent advisers hear about and can access, so a larger sales group can change how quickly a manager reaches the advisers it targets. A push toward ETFs, alternatives and direct indexing also matters to advisers deciding which vehicles to use, and a more consolidated lineup can simplify their due diligence. Firm leaders and recruiters watching the RIA channel will want to track whether the expanded team is hired and deployed as described. Sources: - InvestmentNews: https://www.investmentnews.com/goria/practice-management/franklin-templeton-expands-ria-distribution-team-eyes-etf-alts-and-direct-indexing/268793 - advisors4advisors.com: https://advisors4advisors.com/investing/products/article/12706-franklin-templeton-expands-ria-sales-team - investmentnews.com: https://www.investmentnews.com/goria/practice-management/envestnet-eyes-scaled-ria-benefits-of-vestmark-deal/268796 - riabiz.com: https://riabiz.com/a/2020/5/7/with-cash-burn-high-wisdomtree-offloads-advisorengine-onto-white-knight-franklin-templeton-which-could-score-big-with-forgotten-junxure - en.wikipedia.org: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Templeton - altss.com: https://altss.com/profile/franklin-templeton