Eastspring reveals new management structure
Singapore-based Eastspring Investments (part of Prudential plc), unveiled a revamped regional management structure with the appointment of Xavier Meyer and Wendy Lim into newly created roles of regional chief executives, reporting to Wai-Kwong Seck, chief executive officer at Eastspring Investments Group.
Meyer, who joined Eastspring in 2014 and is currently global head of distribution, will take on new management responsibilities and oversee the Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Europe and US businesses as regional chief executive officer North Asia, Europe and US. Functionally, he will continue to spearhead the institutional business globally and lead the product function, client service and distribution offices.
Lim, who will be joining Eastspring on 19 November, will assume management responsibilities and oversee Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam as regional chief executive officer Southeast Asia. Functionally, she will lead the retail business globally, including intermediary sales and digital strategy, and oversee marketing & communications. Lim will also be responsible for the Prudential Life businesses relationship management to ensure closer collaboration.
Lim joins Eastspring from Manulife Investment Management, where she was CEO Singapore & regional head of high-net-worth segment, Asia. She has worked in retail banking, wealth, and asset management for nearly three decades.
Seck will continue to have direct oversight of Eastspring’s India and China businesses, assisted by Meyer (India) and Janelle Yeo (China).
Barclays PB builds team in Singapore.
Adrian Khoo has joined Barclays Private Bank in Singapore as head of strategic client coverage. Previously, he was at Julius Baer where he was a senior relationship manager covering wealthy individuals and family offices in Southeast Asia. Earlier in his career, Khoo held senior positions at BNP Paribas Wealth Management, Asia Capital & Advisors, Goldman Sachs and Macquarie Bank.
Jaime Huang has moved to Barclays Private Bank from Bank of Singapore, where she was a director advising wealthy clients and family offices clients in Southeast Asia and China. In her new jo, she is private banker. Huang has 18 years of experience, and was previously at Citi, HSBC and ABN Amro. MROaccording to a statement, as head of strategic client coverage and a private banker, respectively
Both Khoo and Huang report to the head of the private bank in Singapore, Evonne Tan.
Meanwhile, Ken Sze will move from London to take up a position as the Singapore-based Asia head of investments, reporting to Tan and Barclays Private Bank’s global co-head of investments Jean-Damien Marie.
Sze was the bank’s global head of the funds and ETF business and he will remain a member of Barclays Private Bank’s global investments team.
Allianz Apac appoints new regional CEO
Allianz said that Anusha Thavarajah will become regional chief executive officer of Allianz Asia Pacific with effect from 1 December 2021. She succeeds Solmaz Altin, who has decided to leave the organisation after 13 years with the company. In her new role, Thavarajah will be responsible for delivering Allianz Asia Pacific’s long-term growth strategy as well as driving forward the business’s transformation efforts.
She is currently Allianz Asia Pacific’s Regional CEO of life & health, having joined the business in December 2019 from AIA Malaysia. She has 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, having served in various senior leadership roles in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Malaysia, and was president of the Malaysia Life Insurance Association.
Manulife IM hires Asia fixed income duo
Manulife Investment Management has appointed Isaac Meng as managing director and portfolio manager, fixed income, and Judy Kwok as head of Greater China fixed income research. The new hires are part of the firm’s efforts to strengthen its fixed income research and investment capability, and to growing its reach in China.
Based in Hong Kong, Meng is responsible for managing Manulife IM’s China bond strategies. He reports to Paula Chan, senior managing director and senior portfolio manager, Asia fixed income.
An industry veteran with 25 years of experience, Meng was previously at Pimco Asia as senior vice president, portfolio manager and macro strategist and led the firm’s China fixed income strategy and macro analysis function as well as interacting with China’s regulators and monetary policymakers. Prior to that he was at BNP Paribas Securities Asia as senior economist, and before that held various fixed income-related roles at Bank of Montreal and Bank of China.
Also based in Hong Kong, Kwok leads the firm’s Greater China fixed income research efforts and she is responsible for managing the credit teams in Greater China, as well as overseeing fixed income research activities in Greater China and North Asia. She also leads the firm’s efforts to drive further collaboration and integration with Manulife-TEDA and to help deliver its growth objectives across Greater China. Kwok reports to Fiona Cheung, head of global emerging markets fixed income research.
Kwok has two decades of credit experience, and was previously at Bank of Singapore, employed as durector of fixed income research, and before that she served in senior research positions at Fidelity International and First State Investments in Hong Kong. She began her career as an analyst with the Australia Prudential Regulatory Authority and Standard & Poor’s in Australia and Hong Kong.
Credit Suisse names interim Apac asset management head
Hong Kong-based Min Huang took over the leadership role last week, in addition to her job as head of asset management China. The interim appointment follows the departure of Mike Levin, who was in charge of both Apac and the Americas.
Meanwhile, Michael Rongetti, who was chief financial officer (CFO) of asset management and head of investments and partnerships, has also taken over as head of asset management in the Americas while retaining his responsibilities for investments and partnerships. His CFO position has been taken by former UBS Asset Management CFO Dierk von Schuckmann.
Robeco strengthens sustainable multi asset team
Robeco revealed the expansion of its sustainable multi asset solutions capability with the appointment of Colin Graham as head of multi asset strategies and co-head of sustainable multi asset solutions in a newly created role.
Graham brings 25 years’ of experience global, European and Asian multi assets strategy. Most recently he was chief investment officer, multi asset solutions at Eastspring Investments (part of Prudential plc). Prior to this, he was chief investment officer, multi asset solutions at BNP Paribas Asset Management in London, and managing director, co-head of global multi asset strategies at Blackrock.
