New key BlackRock executives
The US asset manager announced that Geir Espeskog has been promoted to be head of wealth for Southeast Asia, starting in early October.
He will continue to be based in Singapore and will report to Guilherme Lima, who was named as head of wealth for Apac in October last year.
“[Espeskog’s] extensive knowledge of the firm, our clients and the growing intersection of the wealth space with our full range of offerings make him an ideal leader to help our fast-growing population of wealth clients in Southeast Asia,” said Lima.
Espeskog joined the firm in 2010 and has held various roles – most recently as co-head of BlackRock sustainable investing (BSI) for Apac in Singapore alongside Emily Woodland.
After Espeskog assumes his new role, Woodland will take full leadership as the head of sustainable investing.
His appointment also signals the firm’s commitment to deepening resources targeting this fast-growing set of investors and reflects continued momentum in the wealth space, said the firm.
In a separate announcement, BlackRock revealed that Elaine Wu has joined the firm as Apac head of research for BSI.
In this newly-created role, Wu will oversee the firm’s sustainability research across the region.
Based in Hong Kong, she will report to Woodland and partner with global sustainability research colleagues across investment platforms.
“Clients are increasingly turning to us to help them connect data, investment strategies and sustainability insights to build better portfolios – especially in Asia. [Wu’s] deep capabilities will supercharge our clients’ access to the latest research and insights they’re asking for to reach their investment goals,” said Woodland.
Prior to joining the firm, Wu was head of Asia ex-Japan ESG and utilities equity research at JP Morgan. She has also worked at Nomura and Lehman Brothers.
AllianzGI taps Apac COO
Separately, AllianzGI announced the appointment of Khalil Soubra as its chief operating officer for Apac.
To better align with the firm’s business requirements, it reinstated the role to oversee overall operations in the region.
Based in Hong Kong, Soubra reports to Alexandra Auer, global chief operating officer at AllianzGI.
Soubra joined the firm back in 2003 and has held various positions across different functions. He has been the global head of the trade and position life cycle team since 2018.
