RBC Dexia Investor Services has promoted from within to fill a vacancy for a director of business development.

Keith Watson has stepped up from his role as a senior manager of risk and investment analytics, filling the responsibility to drive new business growth in Australia which has nominally been vacant since January 2009, when Rob Chowdhury departed the organisation (Chowdhury has since resurfaced as head of adviser services at OneVue).

Watson will work alongside Melbourne-based business development director Wesley Palmer, and report to Michael Bonhote, the head of sales and relationship management for the Asia-Pacific.

Watson’s previous role within RBC Dexia IS saw him responsible for securities pricing, valuations, performance and compliance teams. The managing director of RBC Dexia IS Australia, David Travers, said his analytical background would help the firm “know the business of each and every existing and prospective client”.

Meanwhile, RBC Dexia IS last week said it had been selected by Omega Global Investors to provide custody, administration and registry services to the newly launched Omega Global Government Bond Fund and Omega Global Corporate Bond Fund.