Mark Konyn to join AIA
Mark Konyn is to join life insurer AIA as group chief investment officer, it has been announced. Hong Kong-based Konyn was previously CEO of Cathay Conning Asset Management (CCAM), but left the firm in mid-July, as revealed by AsianInvestor.
Konyn will join AIA on September 1 as CIO to replace John Chu, who will retire from the role on December 1 after a three-month transition. Konyn will henceforth be reporting to Mark Tucker, AIA’s group chief executive and president.
John Chu has worked at AIA since June 1993, and has been group CIO since January 2010. He will retain the chairmanship of AIA (Trustee) and AIA PT Co and will join the boards of AIA Co and AIA International.
Tucker confirmed that Chu “will remain with the group to support us with various strategic initiatives in Hong Kong and mainland China.”
AsianInvestor last week revealed that Konyn was leaving Cathay Conning AM after three and a half years as chief executive.
He has been based in Asia since 1989 and has held senior positions with Allianz Global Investors, where he was regional CEO for RCM, and held senior marketing roles with Fidelity and Prudential. He has a doctorate in risk analysis, is a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and was a committee member of the FT Actuaries policy group.
Konyn joined Cathay Conning in February 2012 tasked with leading its strategic expansion across Asia. In 2014 CCAM turned a corner with its asset-liability modelling solutions, adapting technology largely applied in the US and Europe specifically for Asia and completing major projects in China and Japan.
This business breakthrough contributed to the firm winning the award for best institutional solutions provider at this year’s AsianInvestor Asset Management Awards.
Chu’s succession planning was reported by AsianInvestor as long ago as 2009.
AIA Group, a specialist in protection products as well as employee benefits and pension services, has a presence in 18 markets in Asia Pacific and traces its establishment to Shanghai in the early 20th century. It had $172 billion of assets under management as of May 31, 2015.