Honda, who is expected to assume the role in May, is a veteran of three decades in the financial services and asset management industries. He will act as the firm’s official representative in Japan and lead its overall Japanese business and distribution strategy.
He will lead the business in Japan under Baltimore-based T. Rowe Price Group, with $763.1bn in assets under management as of December 31, 2015.
He will also liaise with Japanese governmental and regulatory authorities as well as industry associations.
Honda joins the firm from Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley PB Securities, where he has spent a decade, most recently as managing director, chief product officer, and head of marketing and product development.
Prior to this position, Honda spent two decades in senior management and sales roles at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers Japan, Merrill Lynch Japan, and at Goldman Sachs in the US and in Japan.
He will report to Scott Keller, head of global investment services, Asia Pacific.
“[Honda’s] strong leadership track record in building and maintaining client relationships is exactly what we need to bring our investment expertise and services to a growing number of institutional and intermediary clients in Japan,” Keller said in the statement.
