Mr. Robert W. Fairbairn is an Independent Director at Blackrock MuniYield Investment Quality Fund, an Independent Trustee at BlackRock Enhanced Capital & Income Fund, Inc., at BlackRock Investment Quality Municipal Trust, Inc., at BlackRock New York Municipal Bond Trust, at BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust, at BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust, at BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund, Inc., a Vice Chairman at BlackRock Advisors LLC, and a Vice Chairman-Campaign Board at University of Durham. Mr. Fairbairn is responsible for some of BlackRock’s most complex, global clients.

He chairs the Human Capital Committee and Global Executive Committee Talent Subcommittee, and is a member of the Global Executive Committee, Global Operating Committee, and Director of BlackRock’s U.S. Mutual Fund Boards. Previously, he was Senior Managing Director, overseeing the Strategic Partner Program responsible for the firm's largest client relationships and the Strategic Product Management Group responsible for the firm's overall product strategy.

At MLIM, he was Senior Vice President and head of the EMEA Pacific region and member of the MLIM Executive Committee, with responsibility for all of MLIM's non-US businesses.

He joined Mercury in 1993, and became head of the EMEA Sales Division in 1999 and Chief Operating Officer of the EMEA Pacific region in 2001. From 1990 to 1993, he was with Lazard Investors' business development team. Prior to that, he spent five years with GT Management as an investment manager.

Mr. Fairbairn received his undergraduate degree from the University of Durham.