Thomas Balk will become president of Fidelity Investments Japan at the...

Thomas Balk will become president of Fidelity Investments Japan at the start of 2006, said Peter Yandle, spokesman for Fidelity International. Mr. Balk fills a position that will have been open for 18 months, replacing Bill Wilder, who left to become president and CIO of Nikko Asset Management. Mr. Balk was the London-based president of Fidelity's Mutual Funds Europe division. Mr. Yandle said the search for Mr. Balk's replacement is under way.

Howard B. Hill joined the quantitative management group of Babson Capital Management as a managing director, said spokeswoman Faith Yando. It is a new position. Mr. Hill joins the group's portfolio management team, where he will "initially be responsible for creating new vehicles to attract third-party money for real estate- and mortgage-related investment management," according to a news release. Mr. Hill was a managing director and senior strategist with NIBC Credit Management, the U.S. structured finance asset management arm of NIB Capital. Gert-Jan Sikking, the head of NIBC Credit Management, wasn't immediately available for comment on whether Mr. Hill was replaced.