Weekly roundup of people news, August 6
AllianzGI's institutional chief resigns
Asset manager Allianz Global Investors’ regional head of institutions is leaving the company at the end of this month. Hong Kong-based Elvin Yu, head of institutional business for Greater China and Southeast Asia, will be leaving the firm “to pursue other opportunities”, according to an AllianzGI spokesperson.
Yu will not be directly replaced, but his regional responsibilities will be shared between Adam Phua, Asia-Pacific head of international business and consultant relations, and Jenny Yu, head of retail distribution for Greater China.
Phua will take charge of AllianzGI’s institutional business for Hong Kong, while Yu will expand her coverage to lead retail distribution for Greater China and Southeast Asia. They assumed their new duties on August 1.
In a statement, AllianzGI said: “With this realignment to regional responsibilities, we are confident that we will continue to partner with our clients to meet their goals.”
Elvin Yu has worked at AllianzGI since 2009, according to his LinkedIn profile. Prior to that he was at Baring Asset Management between 2005-2008 as Asia ex-Japan head of institutional business, and was an associate director in sales and marketing at Axa Rosenberg between 2000-2004.
Jenny Yu joined AllianzGI in June 2011 as head of Hong Kong retail sales, and previously worked at Invesco.
Phua joined AllianzGI in July 1999, according to his LinkedIn profile. His roles over the years have included senior marketing manager, and he transferred to Hong Kong in 2006, having previously been based in Singapore.
Nikko names new Asia head
Japanese fund house Nikko Asset Management has made senior promotions in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Singapore-based Eleanor Seet has been appointed head of Asia ex-Japan, while Yasuaki Ogiwara has been made president of Nikko AM Hong Kong. Seet reports to Takumi Shibata, president and CEO of Nikko AM, while Ogiwara reports to Seet. Both assumed their newly-created positions on July 1.
Seet joined Nikko AM Asia in October 2011 as president and director. Prior to joining Nikko AM Asia, Seet was a senior director at BlackRock’s iShares business from June 2009, with responsibility for Asia ex-Japan private wealth distribution. She has also been a senior director at Barclays Global Investors. Seet worked at AllianceBernstein between 1997-2009, where she was responsible for building and developing the firm’s distribution channels and business.
Ogiwara joined Nikko AM in April. He was most recently the president of Nomura Asset Management in Hong Kong. He headed sales and business development in multiple markets during his tenure at Nomura Securities, including Taiwan and Europe.
Early last month, Nikko AM announced that its CEO Blair Pickerell was retiring after five years in the hot seat.
Algebris hires portfolio manager
Hedge fund Algebris Investments has hired Stephanie Bradshaw as a portfolio manager. Bradshaw joined Algebris’ Singapore office on July 1 and reports to Ivan Vatchkov, Asia-Pacific CIO.
In the newly-created position, Bradshaw is responsible for the oversight and management of Algebris’ fund portfolios (credit and equity, long and long short) exposure in Asia Pacific and Japan.
Bradshaw’s previous employers have included Nomura, where she worked as an executive director between February 2008 and May 2010 in Hong Kong, according to her LinkedIn profile. Prior to that she worked at UBS as a director between June 2005-February 2008, and was a fund manager at Aberdeen Asset Management in Singapore from October 2001-June 2005.
CBRE names asset services chief
Real estate services firm CBRE has appointed David Fogarty as head of its Singapore asset services business. Fogarty, who is currently regional director of Pacific asset services, will assume the twin titles of managing director for Singapore asset services and regional client director for Asia Pacific.
In addition to taking on overall responsibility for the Singapore asset services business, Fogarty will also lead client solutions for all Singapore-domiciled clients across the Asia-Pacific region. He will assume both positions on January 1, 2016.
Fogarty will report to Pauline Goh, CBRE’s Singapore and Southeast Asia chief executive, on domestic matters, and regionally to Andy Nicholson, Asia-Pacific executive managing director for asset services.
CBRE said it would be seeking a replacement for Fogarty’s current Pacific role.
Fogarty has worked at CBRE since February 2011, according to his LinkedIn profile. Prior to CBRE, Fogarty was a director at property firm Knight Frank in Brisbane between August 2001-November 2010.
White & Case boosts PE team
Law firm White & Case has expanded its private equity practice with the hiring of Jonathan Bowden as a local partner in its Singapore office. Bowden joined White & Case’s global mergers & acquisitions practice on July 28 in the newly-created position. In terms of Bowden’s reporting lines, Peggy Wang is the Asia head of private equity and the Singapore office is headed by Kaya Proudian.
Bowden represents private equity firms and other financial sponsors, together with corporates and banks, on a variety of cross-border private and public M&A transactions, joint ventures and corporate finance transactions.
Bowden joins from Linklaters’ Singapore office, where he worked between March 2005 – July 2015, and was most recently a managing associate.
Other people news reported by AsianInvestor over the past week:
Axa IM expands sales team, adds private bank director