Franklin Templeton appoints Apac chairman
Yu (Ben) Meng has been hired for a newly created role as executive vice president and chairman of Asia Pacific, effective 15 July. Meng will help drive Franklin Templeton’s Asia Pacific and global growth strategy in partnership with the firm’s existing leadership. He will report to president and CEO Jenny Johnson and serve on the firm’s Executive Committee.
Meng was previously chief investment officer for the California Public Employees Retirement System, and has also been deputy chief investment officer for China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange.
Barclays poaches UBS private banker
Barclays has appointed Evonne Tan as its head of private banking in Singapore, where she will lead the collaboration between the British lender’s private bank and its corporate and investment banking business in the Lion City. She reports to James Penny, head of Asia ex-India, Barclays Private Bank.
Tan has 25 years of financial services experience, joining from UBS where she was a market team head responsible for the ultra-high net worth Singapore business. Previously, she held positions at Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank across global markets and wealth management.
JP Morgan has new Singapore trust head
JP Morgan Private Bank has appointed Koh Bee Eng as the head of JP Morgan Trust Company (Singapore). Based in Singapore, she reports to Martin Pollock, head of international trusts & estates.
Koh will be responsible for leading the trust company’s growth plans and strategy, partnering with JP Morgan Private Bank’s wealth advisors and bankers to structure, assess and onboard new fiduciary business and opportunities as well as help clients and their families in administering their wealth and succession planning.
With more than 20 years in the trust industry, Koh experience covers trust management and administration, business management, financial control and compliance. Prior to joining JP Morgan, she was the trust centre resident manager and director of Credit Suisse Trust in Singapore. She also spent some years with Standard Chartered Trust (Singapore) and Rothschild Trust (Singapore) as resident Manager and board member of these companies.
Blackrock Real Assets signs up renewable power MD
Valerie Speth has been hired as managing director for the firm’s Apac renewable power team, effective July 2021. She will lead investment and portfolio management efforts in Southeast Asian economies for Blackrock’s current flagship global renewable power strategy and the climate finance partnership (CFP) programme in Asia. Speth will be based in Singapore for this newly-created post, reporting to Keith Mangan, Blackrock’s head of Apac for the renewable power team.
Speth has more than 15 years’ experience in renewable energy businesses in Europe and APAC, in the areas of strategy, M&A and operations. Prior to joining Blackrock, she was regional director Asia Pacific for juwi, a global expert in turnkey renewable power projects.
Former CS bond head joins boutique
Carinn Neo has moved to Paragon Capital Management Singapore (PCMS) as its managing director and lead portfolio manager for the firm’s Paragon Income Fund.
Neo has 24 years of experience managing various fixed income products and was most recently the co-head of fixed income solutions at Credit Suisse private banking arm. Previously, she had also worked for the former Bear Sterns, DBS Asset Management and UOB Asset Management.
Citi promotes head of private bank HNW Apac
Chan San-San, in her new role as Citi Private Bank Head of HNW Asia-Pacific, is tasked with leading the growth of the high net worth segment
Based in Singapore, Chan will join the global private bank leadership team as well as the Citi Global Wealth Asia Management team. She joined Citi in 2003 as a management associate in the global consumer bank.
Citi Private Bank has also reportedly hired a new global market head for China. Lillian Liao joins as a managing director and global market head, China, based in Singapore. Previously, she was at Credit Suisse where she spent nearly 13 years last as a managing director and senior client partner.
She reports to North Asia head of private banking Rudolf Hitsch.
Ninety One expands EM fixed income team in Asia
Based in Hong Kong, Adrian Chan has joined Ninety One’s EM fixed Income team as an analyst, with effect from 5 July 2021. He reports directly to Alan Siow, portfolio manager in the fixed income team.
In this newly created role, Chan will support the team to drive investment ideas and generate positive alpha across all the Asia and EM corporate strategies. Prior to joining Ninety One, he worked at UBS AG and Fidelity International, specializing in fixed income investments in the region.
Crux adds to Asian equities team
Crux Asset Management has hired research analysts Ishaan Bhatia and Ryan Soh to support Ewan Markson-Brown, the ex-Baillie Gifford Asia investment manager.
Specialising in evaluating public and private stage growth opportunities in India and Greater China & South East Asia respectively, Bhatia and Soh both worked with Markson-Brown on the Baillie Gifford Pacific Fund and the Pacific Horizon Investment Trust. Bhatia, who is based in Mumbai, previously worked at a range of asset managers including Aravt Global, Arisaig Partners and JP Morgan. Soh has worked at Mobius Capital Partners, Smartkarma, and Blackfriars Asset Management.
HSBC AM builds up sustainability team
The asset manager’s newly created sustainability office will be led by Erin Leonard, who is made global head of sustainability and will report directly to CEO Nicolas Moreau as a member of his management committee. The sustainability office will be responsible for the delivery of HSBC Asset Management’s sustainability strategy and the business-wide transition to sustainable investing. The team will also drive initiatives, such as diversity, equity & inclusion.
Leonard has over 25 years’ experience in asset management, including senior global leadership roles across investments, product development, strategy and institutional sales. Most recently, she was interim global head of institutional business while also leading the firm’s responsible investment initiative.
Meanwhile, Stuart Kirk, currently global head of research & insights, has been made head of responsible investment. Reporting to Global CIO, Xavier Baraton, Kirk will lead a team responsible for the integration of ESG risks and opportunities across asset classes, as well as the firm’s voting policy and engagement initiatives. His team will also lead the development of new ESG, climate change and thematic products and solutions, and the delivery of thematic research contributing to industry best practices and supporting thought leadership.
Kirk has more than 25 years’ experience in finance, from portfolio management and strategic consultancy roles to senior positions in journalism as well as buy and sell-side research.
