Axa Investment Managers appoints fund distribution exec

Axa Investment Managers has transferred a business development executive from Paris to Hong Kong to support its efforts in wholesale fund distribution.

Jean-Luc Eyssautier recently relocated as director of fund distribution at Axa IM. He looks after Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan -- the markets in Asia ex-Japan where the firm sells its products directly.

Axa already has onshore joint ventures in China (with Shanghai Pudong Development Bank and Shanghai Dragon Investment), India (with Bharti Enterprises) and South Korea (with Kyobo Life Insurance), and wouldn't sell retail-orientated products directly in those markets.

Eyssautier says his main role is to bring attention to the broader offering of Axa IM. One affiliate manager, quant shop Axa Rosenberg, is already well known in the region's institutional marketplace. But Eyssautier is also representing Axa IM itself, which brings credit and interest-rate expertise, as well as Axa Framlington, the firm's Europe-based, research-based judgmental equities boutique.

The firm also markets Axa Private Equity and Axa Real Estate Investment Management, but those units have their own business development teams.

Eyssautier's role has been created as the result of splitting sales and client servicing roles, which had previously been run together; Ying Du is handling client servicing. Eyssautier reports to Anthony Fasso, managing director in Hong Kong.