Ng joins Sarasin as Asia head of investment consulting

Swiss boutique firm Bank Sarasin & Co yesterday named Damien Ng head of investment consulting at its Singapore subsidiary, Bank Sarasin-Rabo (Asia), reporting to Asia chief executive Enid Yip.

Ng has 20 years' experience and joins from Credit Suisse where he worked for nine years and was most recently managing director of investment consulting.

Yesterday he assumed the newly created role, which was split out from Fritz Man's position. Man was previously Asia head of investment products and consulting and now runs the products side. Ng's appointment reflects a move to expand both sides of the business, says a Sarasin spokeswoman.

His hire aims to boost Sarasin's advisory expertise for its clients, she adds, and does not seek to put the firm in competition with consultants such as Mercer, Russell Investments and Towers Watson.

Ng previously headed the investment advisory group at Merrill Lynch Asset Management Group in Singapore. Before joining Merrill Lynch, he was a senior vice-president at The Long-term Credit Bank of Japan in both Singapore and Tokyo, having moved there from Core-Pacific Yamaichi Bank. He began his career at Nordea Bank.

Sarasin is one of a number of Swiss private banks that have been aggressively hiring in recent months in the region, including BSI, Clariden Leu and Julius Baer.