Henderson veteran Richard Clarke moves on

UK-based Henderson Global Investors bade farewell to its long-standing director of institutional sales for Asia earlier this month. An external hire is due to take up Richard Clarke’s role this coming Monday, but the fund house declined to identify the individual.

Hur-Ming Wong and Alex Henderson, managing director for Asia, are in the interim the main points of contact for the institutional business.

In a note sent to contacts, Clarke said: “My decision to move on was not an easy one but after 16 years with the firm, 12 of which have been in Asia, now is the right time to seek a new challenge in the region.”

AsianInvestor could not ascertain Clarke’s next move, and he declined to comment when contacted.

He had joined Henderson in London in October 1998, before relocating to Singapore in December 2002. He previously spent four years as a marketing manager at Swiss fund firm and private bank Lombard Odier in London.

Clarke’s departure follows several changes aimed at sharpening the firm’s focus on the region in the past two years, as part of a drive announced by Alex Henderson in October 2012.

Most recently there was the hire late last year of Andrew Gillan from Aberdeen Asset Management as Henderson’s first Asia head of equities based in the region.

That followed the arrival in August of Wong as Singapore head of retail sales, reporting to Mabel Chan, who had joined in late 2012 as Asia head of retail distribution.

Chan had taken on responsibilities held by Tan Suyin, who was re-assigned to run Southeast Asia distribution. Tan subsequently left Henderson at the start of 2013 after close to 14 years with the firm, to join Goldman Sachs Asset Management, as reported.