Lin quits E Fund (HK) as industry turnover rages on

The managing director of E Fund (Hong Kong), Nathan Lin, has left the firm to join GF International Investment Management as general manager, AsianInvestor can confirm.

Lin founded E Fund’s Hong Kong office back in 2008. But he departed last week to further his career in what amounts to an internal transfer of sorts.

Both E Fund and GF International IM have a common major shareholder, GF Securities; the firm holds a 25% stake in the former and 48% of GF Funds. GF International IM is the Hong Kong subsidiary of GF Funds.

Officially set to start his new role in March, it appears that Lin has been appointed to drive GF International IM’s fledgling RQFII strategy. The firm is a new RQFII licence holder and was granted an Rmb800 million quota in December. It is understood to be looking to launch a fixed income fund.

Lin will lead GF International, the Hong Kong office of China’s 7th largest fund manager by AUM.

He had been key to E Fund’s RQFII business, overseeing investments including its RQFII CSI 100 ETF. He had also just taken on responsibility for overseas institutional business in December following the resignation of Eugene Lee as global head of sales and marketing.

E Fund declined to comment when asked about its succession plans by AsianInvestor.

Lin joined E Fund in 2005 after 12 years at GF Securities, latterly as deputy head of its international business and proprietary investment departments.

Staff turnover at Chinese fund houses has been intensive over the past year or so. Just last month Anthony Ho quit China AMC (Hong Kong), where he was deputy CEO; Eugene Lee resigned as managing director of E Fund in December; and the month before Steve Chiu exited Bosera AM as managing director to join Manulife as vice-president of investment funds.