Weekly roundup of people news, Dec 8
NZ SUPER FUND NAMES ACTING CEO
Paula Steed was named New Zealand Superannuation Fund's interim CEO until a permanent replacement is found.
The current CEO, Matt Whineray, officially step downs on December 8.
Steed has 25 years of expertise in the financial services and banking sector and joined the fund July 2021 and general manager of strategy and shared services.
She was previously chief internal auditor at ASB Bank.
She has held executive positions at Deloitte, AMP, ANZ, and ASB.
“The Board’s search for a permanent chief executive to replace Mr Whineray is progressing well; an announcement regarding a permanent appointment is expected this year,” a NZ Super spokesperson told AsianInvestor.
When asked if Steed was one of the frontrunner’s for the role, the NZ Super spokesperson declined to offer much detail, only commenting, “she would be both qualified and capable. Whether she is interested I don’t know.”
WARBURG PINCUS NAMES ASIA PE HEAD AMID REGIONAL RESHUFFLE
Warburg Pincus has appointed Vishal Mahadevia to the newly appointed role of heead of Asia private equity as part of a wider organisational reshuffle.
Mahadevia will retain his other title of co-head of financial services.
Mahadevia joined Warburg Pincus in 2006 and was previously head of India.
Narendra Ostawal, who joined the firm in 2007, has been named head of India private equity.
The private equity firm also promoted Jeffrey Perlman, previously head of Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific real estate, to president as part of a succession plan for the next generation of leadership.
Saurabh Agarwal, who joined the firm in 2009 and is based in Singapore, was named head of Southeast Asia private equity.
Min Fang and Ben Zhou who joined the firm in 2007 and 2005, respectively, will serve as co-heads of China private equity.
After more than 20 years with Warburg Pincus, Frank Wei will step down from his current role as head of China. He will remain as a managing director at the firm throughout 2024 to ensure a seamless transition.
Warburg Pincus also previously announced that Takashi Murata will join in early 2024 as head of Japan, and co-head of Asia real estate, alongside long-time company veteran Ellen Ng.
MERCER SUPER CIO EXITS
Mercer Super's chief investment officer, Corrin Collocott, left the firm to join Insurance Australia Group after nine months.
He led the investment management team and supervised the performance of Mercer Super's investment options and diversified funds.
His departure follows the merger of BT Super into the Mercer Super Trust and the acquisition of Advance Asset Management.
Prior to joining Mercer Super, Collocott held key positions at BT Financial, Sunsuper, lnTech, MCA NZ Limited, and Watson Wyatt.
Collocott’s role will be filled by James Kerr, who was previously head of asset allocation at Mercer.
Kerr will manage investment strategy and execution for the firm's multi-asset/diversified funds from the newly created position of chief investment strategist for multi-asset, Pacific.
Asset management firm DWS has appointed Ivy Ng as regional chief investment officer (CIO) for Asia Pacific, effective November 28.
The appointment aims to “strengthen the regional bonds” to clients, global CIO Björn Jesch said in a statement where Vera Fehling was also announced as new Western Europe CIO.
Ng is based in Hong Kong and reports to Jesch.
She replaces Sean Taylor who left DWS by end-June this year.
Ng joined DWS in 2013 and was most recently a senior portfolio manager covering Asia ex-Japan real estate markets.
Prior to joining DWS, she was with real estate-focused LaSalle Investment Management.
Ng also has experience as a financial journalist and investment magazine founder. She is also an economic book author.
ALLIANZ GI CREATES NEW ROLE IN INDIAN EQUITY FRANCHISE
Allianz Global Investors (Allianz GI) named Anand Gupta as lead portfolio manager for its Indian equity franchise.
Based in Singapore, Gupta will report to Raymond Chan, chief investment officer equity, Asia Pacific.
The role is a new addition for Allianz GI’s Indian equity franchise.
Gupta will be lead manager responsible for India equity mandates, India thematic strategies and related portfolios. He will also drive formulation of investment strategies for the Indian market.
Gupta joins from Eastspring Investments, where he led their India growth equity team for over a decade.
ABRDN HIRES APAC CHIEF RISK OFFICE FROM CREDIT SUISSE
Abrdn appointed Kong Ho-Loon as chief risk officer, Asia Pacific in November, the firm confirmed to AsianInvestor.
Kong is based in Singapore. He replaced Aik Ai-Hua, who has begun a career outside the financial industry.
Kong joined abrdn from Credit Suisse, where he spent almost five years and was most recently managing director and Asia-Pacific head of regulatory relations.
Kong has held senior compliance roles with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Lehman Brothers before 2008.
He also worked in the banking department at the Monetary Authority of Singapore in the early 2000s.
IFM INVESTORS NAMES GLOBAL STRATEGY HEAD
IFM Investors, a global investment manager owned by several prominent Australian pension funds, named Rekha Misra as its new head of global strategy.
In her newly created London-based role at IFM, Misra reports to chief strategy officer Luba Nikulina, and her key responsibilities include innovating product development, identifying new markets, and driving initiatives to improve investment solutions.
Nikulina told AsianInvestor that she anticipates Misra's experience will be instrumental in expanding IFM's presence in North America, Asia, Europe, and the UK.
Misra previously held positions at consultancy WTW and Holland Capital Management, among others.
CBRE NAMES PRESIDENT FOR NORTH ASIA ADVISORY
CBRE promoted Tom Gaffney to president of the North Asia advisory business.
He will succeed Ben Duncan, who will become chair of North Asia, which covers mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Korea.
Both Gaffney and Duncan will start in their new roles from January 1, 2024.
Both senior executives are based in Hong Kong.
As regional managing director, Hong Kong, Gaffney has led CBRE’s advisory business in the market since 2016.
Prior to joining CBRE, Gaffney held a wide range of executive positions Asia, including with JLL and Hongkong Land.
New North Asia chair Duncan has 20 years of real estate experience and was president of CBRE’s North Asia advisory business for the past nine years.
He started with CBRE in Japan in 2004 to build the company’s leasing business and became president and CEO of CBRE Japan in 2012.