UOB CREATES CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER ROLE
UOB has appointed Eric Lim in the newly created role of chief sustainability officer (CSO), according to a press statement.
The appointment is an extension of his current role as the bank’s head of group finance, where he oversees financial strategy, capital management, regulatory and financial reporting, tax management, business finance and performance management.
Lim is also the chairperson of UOB Group’s ESG committee, which is responsible for reviewing the bank’s material ESG topics, identifying relevant risks and opportunities and monitoring the progress of sustainability-related programmes and initiatives.
In his new role, Lim will lead a dedicated corporate sustainability office and focus on achieving the bank’s sustainability objectives of helping businesses to advance responsibly, steering consumer wealth to sustainable investments and fostering social inclusiveness and environmental well-being.
The corporate sustainability office will work closely with the business and support functions across UOB’s network to increase focus, engagement on and execution of the bank’s sustainability strategy. The team will also develop and monitor key performance indicators of the bank’s strategic sustainability goals, including UOB’s own carbon footprint target.
Under the CSO role, Lim will report to Wee Ee Cheong, deputy chairman and CEO. Lim will continue to report to Lee Wai Fai, group chief financial officer, in his head of group finance role.
Lim will also join the bank’s management committee, which is chaired by the CEO and comprises the bank’s most senior leaders across the region.
Lim joined UOB in 2013, according to the statement. Before that, he was managing director and head of wholesale banking finance for Singapore and Southeast Asia at a multinational bank.
NATIXIS IM APPOINTS NEW CEO
Natixis has named Tim Ryan as its new head of asset and wealth management and CEO of Natixis Investment Managers, effective 12 April.
He replaced Jean Raby, who has decided to pursue other opportunities outside the firm, Natixis said.
Raby, who has been Natixis IM’s CEO for four years, will remain with the firm over the coming weeks to ensure an efficient transition, Nicolas Namias, Natixis’s CEO and chairman of the board of director of Natixis IM, said in the statement.
“As we prepare to launch our new strategic plan for the period to 2024, I am delighted to welcome [Ryan] to drive forward our robust momentum across our asset and wealth management businesses, develop our multi-affiliate model to serve our clients and enhance our ESG strategy,” Namias added.
Before Natixis and Natixis IM, Ryan was Generali’s group chief investment officer for insurance assets and global CEO for asset and wealth management, according to the statement.
Globally, Natixis IM manages around $1.4trn in assets.
T ROWE PRICE NAMES APAC OPERATING OFFICER
T Rowe Price has appointed Mike Weigand to the newly created role of Hong Kong-based Asia-Pacific regional operating officer, effective 1 April.
Weigand was previously the firm’s group head of internal audit based in Baltimore, a role he had held since joining the firm in 2018.
In his new role in Hong Kong, Weigan will provide local coordination and cross-functional guidance to several functions in the region, including client account services, investment operations, enterprise risk, finance, enterprise change, tax, human resources, legal and compliance, procurement, technology, and real estate and workplace services.
He will continue to report to Céline Dufétel, the firm’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer.
“Filling this leadership position is an important step for the firm as we further grow in size and complexity in Apac,” Dufétel said in the statement.
BARINGS HIRES FOR INSTITUTIONAL DISTRIBUTION
Barings has hired Lydia Wu as head of institutional distribution for Greater China and Southeast Asia, effective immediately, according to a statement from the firm.
Wu will focus on building client relationships in Greater China and Southeast Asia, covering multiple market segments, including corporate and public funds for institutions, insurance companies and family offices. Based in Hong Kong, she will report to Jon Millin, head of Asia-Pacific distribution.
Wu has 15 years of experience in sales and business development in the fund management industry in Asia. She joins Barings from Oaktree Capital, where she was senior vice president for Greater China. Before that, she held positions at BNY Mellon, State Street Global Advisors and Morgan Stanley Investment Management.
Barings manages $345bn in assets across public and private fixed income, real estate and specialist equity markets.
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