Canaccord Capital Inc. has appointed Ken Knowles as head of fixed-income.

Effective immediately, Knowles will be responsible for leading Canaccord’s fixed-income operations. He takes over the group from Bill Whalen, who is retiring.

Knowles will be joined by Robert Lee, who takes over the role as managing director and head of fixed-income sales. The two each have more than 30 years of financial services experience, most recently with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Inc.

“The addition of Ken and Robert is a crucial step in the enhancement of our fixed-income capabilities,” says Paul Reynolds, Canaccord’s president and CEO. “Canaccord is committed to building a world-class team that can maximize the value of our global platform. I welcome Ken and Rob as like-minded partners and believe their professionalism, experience and energy will have a huge impact on the growth of this important business. “

Previously, Knowles served as managing director of fixed-income and head of the Canadian fixed-income operations at J.P. Morgan. He began his career in 1979 in fixed-income trading and sales with RBC Capital Markets, working with Canadian and U.S. clients.

Knowles holds a bachelor of business administration from Bishop’s University in Quebec and has served as a past chair of the ICA Capital Markets Committee. He has an outstanding record of team leadership, revenue generation, risk management and product innovation that will be critical to our future growth.

Lee will join Canaccord on Nov. 1. During his time with J.P., he has played key roles since, ultimately serving as head of sales and syndication. He has lived in London, England, Toronto and Vancouver, and graduated from the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Burnaby, B.C.. His rich experience in sales, syndication and treasury funding brings valuable perspective and skill to the team.