Newsmakers in May: Ping An, Nippon Life, FM Global, PSPF
May was a busy month for the AsianInvestor editorial team. The big highlight was our flagship Asian Investment Summit held in Hong Kong on May 18.
The event brought together more than 200 asset owners and the editorial team spoke to several high-profile asset owners on their investment views and strategies.
Some of our top newsmaking stories, therefore, come from the event. We also managed to speak to other asset owners outside of the event and we spotlight some of the best ones of the month here.
How Ping An CIO reads 'between the lines' to decipher China policymaking
Ping An Group holds a constructive view of China’s financial markets and sees a lot of investment opportunities in China in 2023 and beyond, according to chief investment officer Benjamin Deng.
At a keynote interview at AsianInvestor’s 18th Asian Investment Summit, Deng also stressed that China is a policy-driven economy, and investors should follow policymakers’ remarks closely to find out where the economy and the financial markets are going.
Nippon Life: Anti-ESG sentiment can be a boon for ESG
Opposition to environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in the US among institutional investors and asset managers could, paradoxically, end up having a positive effect on the integration of ESG going forward, according to Takeshi Kimura, special advisor to the board at Nippon Life Insurance.
He told delegates at AsianInvestor’s Asia Investment Summit in Hong Kong on May 18 that he was optimistic that anti-ESG sentiments were likely to have a positive impact on the entire landscape of financial stewardship.
NZ Super CIO mulls over potential CEO role
It may not rival the drama of the TV series Succession, but NZ Super's succession planning carries a degree of soul searching for the man seen as the main contender for the chief executive's job, which is being vacated later this year by Matt Whineray.
It’s a fair assumption, given the precedents, that CIO Stephen Gilmore may end up as the new CEO of NZ Super. He’s the frontrunner to take over the role — he’s just not sure if he wants it.
American insurer looks to raise Asia portfolio allocations
US business insurer FM Global plans to lift its allocation to Asia as it expands the non-US portion of its investment portfolio, a senior executive told AsianInvestor.
“We will [raise allocations] as there is a lot of potential across Asia,” Sanjay Chawla, CIO of FM Global, told AsianInvestor.
Chawla, who is based in the US, joined FM Global as CIO in March 2018 and is charged with overseeing the firm’s general account and pension assets.
Taiwan's $24b pension fund undergoes overhaul, names new chief
The Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF), one of Taiwan’s largest pension funds, has appointed a new head as it is undergoing a major reform from a defined-benefit pension scheme to a defined-contribution one.
As part of this transformation, the PSPF is restructured and becomes a newly created bureau under Taiwan's Ministry of Civil Service, effective April 30.
Vietnam's private pension player gears up for aggressive launch
Vietnam's first private and voluntary pension plan player, Dragon Capital, plans a full-scale launch of its offerings later this year as it seeks to claim a slice of a budding industry aimed at supporting a rapidly ageing society.
"After building the backend of our scheme, we reckon that we should be able to go to market aggressively by the fourth quarter of this year,” Dominic Scriven, chairman of Dragon Capital, told AsianInvestor.
State Super warns against greenwashing as regulator turns up heat
The Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) has made greenwashing one of its enforcement priorities for 2023, a move which John Livanas, chief executive at State Super, sees as a necessary step to protecting investors and super fund members.
“The actions of the regulator are properly motivated, and there are a lot of people criticising them without actually understanding the principles behind their focus,” Livanas told AsianInvestor.
