Weekly roundup of people news, Feb 19
KOREA POST NAMES NEW CIOS
Korea Post has appointed new chief investments officers for its savings and insurance units, respectively.
The state-run institution named Song Kwan-ho as the savings unit's CIO to oversee W81 trillion ($73 billion) in assets, while Park In-hwan has been confirmed at the CIO of its insurance unit's W55 trillion in assets.
The CIO position for the latter had been vacant for six months since former CIO Kim Hong-jae moved to another senior job in Korea Post in June of last year. Park was appointed as acting CIO of the insurance unit in December.
Before being appointed to the acting role he was the head of the asset management team and financial management division at Korea Post's savings unit, according to media reports.
Meanwhile, Song has replaced Shin Dae-sup at the savings unit, who has relocated to a regional office.
Korea Post did not immediately reply to AsianInvestor's queries about the appointments, but its organisation chart shows that Song and Park now respectively occupy the two CIO roles.
M&G REAL ESTATE REPLACES ASIA CIO AND CEO
UK-based M&G Real Estate has promoted Lai Jing Dong to chief investment officer and interim chief executive for Asia based in Singapore with effect from February 17.
Reporting to Tony Brown, global head of M&G Real Estate, Lai replaces Ng Chiang Ling, who is due to start at the end of March as Asia CIO at US property investment firm Hines. The interim CEO position will become permanent upon Ng’s departure, said a spokesman for M&G.
Lai had joined M&G in October 2016 as head of acquisitions for Asia ex-Japan, in March 2019 also taking on the Japan duties. He was previously head of investments at Singapore-based property investment firm Straits Real Estate and has also worked for Goldman Sachs in Japan and Carlyle Asia Real Estate Partners in Hong Kong.
CBUS HIRES EXECUTIVE FOR PEOPLE AND CULTURE
Australia's Cbus Super has hired Kristin Miller as group executive of people and culture, a new position in its human resources team.
The pension fund said it had created the position to underline "the importance that Cbus places on its people and culture".
Miller joins from Hong Kong-based commodity trading house Noble Group, and has relocated to Melbourne, where she will start on February 22. She previously worked in senior human resources roles at financial institutions such as AllianceBernstein, BlackRock and Morgan Stanley.
KKR MD TERENCE LEE RESIGNS
Terence Lee, a Singapore-based managing director at KKR, has resigned after 10 years with the private equity giant, according to media reports.
He had led the firm's private equity investments across technology, media, and telecommunications and growth equity investments in Southeast Asia.
He also steps down from as a board member of companies where he represented KKR, including Singapore’s PropertyGuru, Indonesia’s Gojek and Malaysia’s Weststar Aviation Services.
Lee joined KKR in 2010 from CVC Capital Partners, where he had been an investment director between 2007 and 2010. Before that he was an investment banking associate at Morgan Stanley in Singapore between 2006 and 2007, and also worked as an investment banking and equity research analyst at Lehman Brothers in New York.
KKR could not be reached for comment on the reasons for Lee's departure or who would replace him.
METLIFE IM APPOINTS INSTITUTIONAL AND INSURANCE HEAD IN HK
MetLife Investment Management has rehired Pu Jingsu in Hong Kong, this time as the firm's first global head of insurance strategy and solutions and Asia ex-Japan head of the institutional client group (ICG).
Pu rejoined in November last year to spearhead client coverage with a particular focus on Hong Kong, China, Korea and Southeast Asia. He reports to Ruth Farrugia, global head of insurance asset management, and Matt Mosca, global head of ICG.
Lesley Lo was previously institutional sales director for Asia ex-Japan, said a spokesman, but she is no longer with the firm.
Nela D’Agosta, global head of insurance and banking at ICG, retains oversight of insurance clients globally.
Pu most recently worked as chief investment officer at Beijing-based Dajia Insurance, formerly Anbang Insurance, from April 2019 to April 2020. Before that he worked for MetLife IM from 2010 to 2019, latterly as Hong Kong-based head of Asia portfolio management.
A MetLife IM spokesman could not comment on what Pu had done since leaving Dajia.
HSBC ANNOUNCES THREE CIO APPOINTMENTS
HSBC’s private banking and wealth management division announced the appointments of Fan Cheuk Wan as chief investment officer for Asia, Patrick Ho as CIO for North Asia and James Cheo as CIO for Southeast Asia.
The three appointments are expanded roles, and effective from Thursday (February 18), said the bank in a statement.
Fan reports to Willem Sels, global CIO of private banking and wealth management, and Abdel Ben Tkhayet, head of the private banking investment product group for Asia.
Hong Kong-based Fan joined HSBC Private Banking in 2016 to head Asia investment strategy. A spokeswoman said her her title later changed to chief market strategist for Asia but her duties remained the same. Prior to joining HSBC, she spent nine years at Credit Suisse Private Banking, most recently as CIO for Asia Pacific.
Ho oversees the investment strategy team in Hong Kong. He joined HSBC Private Banking as chief market strategist for North Asia in 2017, before which he held positions at Credit Suisse Private Banking, UBS Wealth Management, Bear Stearns and BNP Paribas. Ho reports to Fan.
Cheo rejoined HSBC Private Banking as chief market strategist for Southeast Asia two years ago, having been head of investment strategy for Southeast Asia from 2010 to 2014. In between, he was an investment strategist at Bank of Singapore and Barclays Wealth Asia.
Cheo is based in Singapore and reports to Fan and Jeffrey Yap, head of the private banking investment product group for Southeast Asia.
A spokesperson said the roles were created in line with the banks's plans to grow and scale its wealth management franchise in Asia. The regional appointments also follow the recent designation of Willem Sels as global CIO for private banking and wealth management in London.
CBRE ACCOUNT DIRECTOR TRANSFERS FROM HONG KONG
Guy Payn has left his role as a senior director and Asia Pacific account alliance director for the HSBC account at CBRE in Hong Kong for a role in Finland with the property services firm.
After 13 years managing regional and global accounts at CBRE, Payn is now senior director for strategic advisory services in the Nordics. Based in Helsinki, he will report to Christer Farstad, Nordics head of strategic advisory services.
CBRE declined to comment on who will replace Payn in Hong Kong.
SC LOWY ADDS TRADER IN LONDON
SC Lowy, a Hong Kong-based credit management and trading firm, added another trader to expand its team in London. Jonathan Graber joined last month from Morgan Stanley, where he was on the distressed debt and special situations trading team.
Reporting to Richie Revill, SC Lowy’s head of markets for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Graber will focus mainly on trading the distressed and illiquid credit book.
Morgan Stanley declined to comment on how it will fill Graber's position.
FRC NAMES DEPUTY CEO
Hong Kong's Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has promoted Florence Wong to deputy chief executive, effective February 10, in addition to her previous role as head of oversight, policy and governance.
This is a newly created role to assist chief executive Marek Grabowski in establishing and implementing strategy. The FRC’s work and public profile have increased since its functions were expanded as the full-fledged independent regulator of auditors in Hong Kong since October 1, 2019, a spokeswoman said.
MALAYSIAN REGULATOR SEEKS HELP TO FIND 'WANTED' INVESTMENT ADVISER
Malaysia’s Securities Commission (SC) announced it is seeking information from members of the public to locate Uzir Abdul Samad, otherwise known as Haji Uzir.
The watchdog says he is a suspect in its investigation into activities of an unlicensed investment adviser. Uzir is wanted by the SC in connection with offences under the Capital Markets and Services Act.
He was last known to be working as a Richlist Club Boutique Advisor for Richlist Club Malaysia.
The SC has taken several measures to track Uzir, including placing advertisements and working with relevant authorities. In 2016, the regulator obtained an arrest warrant against Uzir for offences under the CMSA, for carrying out regulated activities without a licence and for defrauding investors.
Members of the public with any information on Uzir’s whereabouts or activities are urged to notify the SC by calling +603 12 381 2497 or emailing [email protected].
Other people news reported by AsianInvestor in the past week: