Weekly round up of people news, Nov 29
CHINA INVESTMENT CORPORATION APPOINTS NEW HEAD
Zhang Qingsong has been appointed as the chairman of China Investment Corporation (CIC), according to an announcement from the $1.33 trillion sovereign wealth fund.
Zhang takes the place of Peng Chun, who has been the chair since 2019.
Prior to the new position, Zhang was the deputy governor of China’s central bank for more than two years.
His career also includes more than three decades of experience in China’s banking system, including roles such as the president of Agricultural Bank of China, president of Export-Import Bank of China, and vice president at Bank of China.
AUSTRALIAN SUPER BOLSTER INTERNATIONAL EQUITIES TEAM
AustralianSuper has announced several key appointments to its international equities leadership team in London, all reporting to Mark Hargraves, head of international equities.
Steve Kelly has been appointed as co-head of high growth global equities. Kelly joins from AXA Investment Managers where he spent nearly three decades specialising in US equities.
Joining Kelly as co-head of high growth global equities is Anu Narula. Narula comes from the Mirabaud Group, where he served as an equity partner for over a decade.
Before his tenure at Mirabaud, he worked as a senior fund manager focusing on global equities at AXA Investment Managers.
Colin Moar has been appointed as senior portfolio manager, technology equities. He joins from Barings, where he spent over three years as director and investment manager in the technology team.
His previous experience includes roles at RWC Partners, Polar Capital Partners, and HSBC Asset Management.
In his new role, Moar will oversee a technology-oriented portfolio of global equities.
MANULIFE HK & SEA INVESTMENT HEAD EXITS
The head of investments for Hong Kong and Southeast Asia general accounts at Manulife, Cary Chan, has announced his departure from the Canadian insurance group in a LinkedIn post.
Chan is stepping down after 14 years managing the firm's general account investments.
The move follows recent leadership changes at Manulife, where Calvin Yip assumed the role of Asia chief investment officer on June 30, replacing Gerald Posthuma who departed after a 20-year tenure.
Chan, who had worked at New York Life and Sun Life before joining Manulife, reflected on his team's growth in his farewell message.
"It has been a privilege to be part of the Manulife Asia general account investment team, which grew from a startup just over 10 years ago to one of the most admired insurance investment management groups," wrote Chan.
Manulife did not respond to AsianInvestor’s request for comment on Chan’s replacement.
HKEX APPOINTS GROUP CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) announced on Friday that Paul Chow will be the organisation’s new group chief sustainability officer.
Chow will also continue his position as group general counsel at HKEX, a role he has held since April 2021. Before that, he was group general counsel and company secretary at Cathay Pacific Airways,
He has also previously held partner roles at several law firms including Davis Polk & Wardwell, Linklaters, and Slaughter and May.
Paul Chow will report to HKEX’s chief executive officer Bonnie Y Chan, with his appointment effective from 1 January 2025.
SBI FUNDS MANAGEMENT APPOINTS NEW CEO
SBI Funds Management Limited, a joint venture between State Bank of India and Amundi, has appointed Nand Kishore as managing director and chief executive officer, succeeding Shamsher Singh.
Kishore transitions to this role from his position as deputy managing director for global markets at State Bank of India's Corporate Centre in Mumbai.
His career at SBI spans 34 years, during which he held several key positions including chief dealer at SBI New York, deputy general manager at corporate accounts group in Delhi, and chief general manager of the Bengaluru Circle.
In his new role at SBIFM, Kishore will lead India's largest fund house, overseeing operations across mutual funds, portfolio management services, alternative investment funds, and offshore funds.
PRIME SUPER MAKES KEY EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS
Australian superannuation fund, Prime Super has undergone a significant leadership transformation under new CEO Raelene Seales, who joined in May 2024 from her previous role as Zurich's chief of business transformation.
Michael McQueen has been appointed to lead the investment team, bringing over 17 years of experience in superannuation, wealth and funds management.
Jeremy Johnson has been promoted to general manager of operations following the retirement of long-serving operating and finance chief Remo Memmolo.
Johnson joined Prime Super as a risk manager three years ago and was later promoted to head of operational risk and governance.
Ning Yang has been promoted to general manager of finance after joining the fund in 2018 as finance manager and progressing to senior finance manager within three years.
Luke Hooper joins as the new legal and governance executive from EY, with 20 years of experience in superannuation and investment law. His previous roles include positions at Holding Redlich and Mills Oakley.
Robert Babb has been appointed as general manager of risk and compliance, coming with extensive experience from roles at IFM Investors and NAB, where he managed risk, compliance, and governance across regulated industries.
These appointments reflect CEO Seales' strategy to enhance the fund's growth, governance, and risk culture while ensuring efficient member service delivery.
KGI SECURITIES APPOINTS ASIA CIO
KGI Securities Hong Kong has appointed Cusson Leung as its chief investment officer for KGI Asia, effective from November 2024, according Leung’s LinkedIn page.
Based in Hong Kong, he will lead the firm’s overall investment and asset allocation strategy in the newly created role.
Before joining KGI Securities Hong Kong, Leung was the managing director and head of Asia property research at JP Morgan, and previously worked at Credit Suisse and Merrill Lynch.