Weekly roundup of people news, Aug 30
SANDRA CHENG TO LEAVE COLUMBIA THREADNEEDLE
Columbia Threadneedle’s Singapore chief executive and Southeast Asia head of institutional business, Sandra Cheng, will leave the asset manager on September 30, a spokeperson told AsianInvestor.
Mark Chan, Hong Kong-based head of institutional for Greater China, will take on leadership of the Southeast Asia institutional business.
He will be supported by Angie Cheung, director of institutional business for Greater China, who now also adds Southeast Asia to her remit.
“We are taking prudent steps to transition her responsibilities to the team, to ensure all client needs are met,” said the spokesperson.
She did not say what would happen to Cheng's responsibilities as Singapore CEO.
Cheng has been with Columbia Threadneedle for 14 years and also holds the role of head of APAC diversity and inclusion advisory group, according to her LinkedIn profile.
INVESCO NAMES NEW ASIA CEO AS PAN RESIGNS
Invesco appointed Martin Franc, previously Australia chief executive, as CEO for Asia ex-Japan, effective July 1.
He will relocate from Melbourne to Hong Kong and also holds the position of institutional business for Asia Pacific at the US asset manager.
The move comes after Terry Pan resigned as CEO for Greater China, Singapore and Korea.
Hong Kong-based Pan held that role since 2015, when he joined Invesco, as exclusively reported at the time by AsianInvestor.
Pan previously spent two stints at JP Morgan Asset Management, including as head of Hong Kong and the China QDII funds business, and as head of retail business for Hong Kong and Macau.
Franc joined Invesco as Australia CEO in 2013 from Australian firm BT Investment Management.
VALUE PARTNERS’ FIXED INCOME CO-CIO TO LEAVE
Sean Chang, co-chief investment officer of fixed income at Value Partners, will leave the Hong Kong-based firm after a stint of just over a year to pursue other personal commitments, the firm told AsianInvestor.
Value Partners will centralise its fixed income investment management under the other co-CIO of fixed income, Gordon Ip, a spokesperson said.
Chang joined Value Partners in January 2023 to work alongside Ip.
Before that, he was head of fixed income at Ping An of China Asset Management (Hong Kong).
Ip has been with Value Partners since 2009 and was the founder of the firm’s fixed income business.
Prior to joining the firm, he worked at HSBC Private Bank in Hong Kong, and Prudential Fixed Income Management in the US.
SUN LIFE HIRES ASIA CHIEF RISK OFFICER FROM FWD
Sun Life named Niall Grady as chief risk officer for Asia, effective September 16, to lead the insurer’s risk function across Asia, and boost effective governance and ensure synergies across its regional operations among other responsibilities.
Based in Hong Kong, he will report to Tom Murphy, chief risk officer of Sun Life, a spokesperson told AsianInvestor.
The spokesperson did not say whether Lucy Chou Chia-ling, who has been chief risk officer, Asia, since 2017, will continue with the firm.
She joined the insurer in 2014.
Grady joins from FWD Group, where he spent four years and served as chief compliance and investment risk officer, and chief compliance and operational risk officer. He also held senior risk and compliance roles at Prudential and Eastspring in both Hong Kong and Singapore.
An FWD spokesperson told AsianInvestor that the firm is in the process of hiring a successor, while Group Chief Risk Officer Jeremy Porter will continue to provide leadership for the group compliance function.
CITADEL HIRES FORMER SEGANTII EXECUTIVE IN HK
Andrew Pidgeon joined Citadel as head of treasury Asia Pacific, AsianInvestor understands.
He succeeds Eddie Lo, and reports to Massimiliano Ciardi, global head of treasury. He remains based in Hong Kong.
Pidgeon was previously head of treasury and financing at hedge fund Segantii Capital Management, which is currently facing criminal charges related to an insider dealing case in Hong Kong.
Citadel is one of the biggest hedge fund managers in the US and is owned by billionaire Kenneth Griffin.
MALAYSIA’S EPF APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN
Malaysia’s Employees Provident Fund (EPF) appointed Mohd Zuki bin Ali as the new chairman, effective September 1.
Mohd Zuki bin Ali, previously a chief secretary to the government, replaces Ahmad Badri bin Mohd Zahir, who has been chairman since May 1, 2020.
EPF is Malaysia’s largest pension fund, MYR1.21 trillion ($235.7 billion) of assets under management as of end-June.
NGS SUPER APPOINTS NEW INDEPENDENT CHAIR, BOARD MEMBER
NGS Super announced two key appointments to its board.
John Battams will become independent chair on January 1, 2025, succeeding Dr. Geoff Newcombe AM, who retires on December 31, 2024.
Battams currently serves as director and risk committee chair for Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) and as chair of Queensland Teachers Union Health Fund.
Brett Lazarides will join as independent director on September 1, serving on the investment and risk, audit and compliance committees.
Lazarides brings experience from roles at Combined Super, Prime Super, UniSuper, Frontier, Perpetual, and NAB.
Both appointments follow NGS Super's adoption of a revised constitution allowing independent directors.
FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL NAMES MD FOR AUSTRALIA
Fidelity International appointed Simon Glazier as managing director, Australia, effective September 1.
Glazier replaces Lawrence Hanson, who is leaving after nearly 17 years with the firm.
He will be based in the firm’s Australian office and report to Rajeev Mittal, managing director, Asia Pacific (Ex-Japan).
Glazier joined Fidelity in 2020 to lead the wholesale segment.
Glazier has previously held roles at Ellerston Capital, Colonial First State, Perpetual Investments, and ING Australia.