Pioneer scoops AberdeenÆs Khoo

Adrian Khoo, formerly relationship manager for sales and business development at Aberdeen Asset Management in Singapore, has left to join Pioneer Investments. He has been named vice president and sales manager for Southeast Asia and will continue to be based in Singapore.

Khoo now reports to Edmund Lacis in Hong Kong, who transferred from the US in May. He will be responsible for assisting the growth of Pioneer's asset management and alternative investments business throughout Southeast Asia.

Lacis says, "Our objective is to build a significant market presence, initially in Singapore and Hong Kong, providing a broad range of investment solutions to Asian investors."

Pioneer is a newcomer to the region, having only opened the Singapore office in October 2001. It now has $1.8 billion of assets under management in Asia, including Japan. It is one of America's oldest mutual fund companies, with $99 billion of assets under management globally, and is also now the asset management subsidiary of UniCredito Italiano, a European bank.