Weekly roundup of people news, May 19
RAVI MENON TO STAY WITH MAS
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said it has reappointed Ravi Menon as managing director of MAS and a member of the MAS board for a further term of two years, from June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2025.
Menon will serve as managing director until May 31, 2025 or his retirement from the Singapore public service, whichever is earlier, MAS said.
Menon was appointed managing director in 2011.
He was previously permanent secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and deputy secretary at the Ministry of Finance.
The Singapore central bank also announced the reappointment of three members to its board of directors.
Lucien Wong, attorney-general, and Chaly Mah, chairman of NetLink NBN Management, will be reappointed to the MAS board for a further term of three years from June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2026.
Mah will also be reappointed as chairman of the audit committee for the same duration.
In addition, Emeritus Senior Minister and former prime minister of Singapore Goh Chok Tong will step down from his position as senior advisor to MAS from May 21, 2023.
He became a senior advisor to the MAS board in May 2011.
Prior to this, he served as chairman of the MAS board from August 20, 2004.
PRUDENTIAL HONG KONG PROMOTES CARRIE FU
Prudential Hong Kong promoted Carrie Fu to the role of director of investments, starting in April, according to Fu’s LinkedIn profile.
Fu joined Prudential in December 2015 as an analyst for insurance investment at Prudential Corporation Asia, based in Hong Kong.
Before the promotion, she was senior manager, investments, since October 2019.
Fu has more than 15 years of experience in Hong Kong’s asset management industry. Before Prudential, she also worked at BMO Global Asset Management and Lloyd George Management.
Prudential Hong Kong declined to comment on the appointment.
FWD GROUP CFO TO DEPART
Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li’s insurance company FWD Group announced that its group chief financial officer (CFO), Jon Nielsen, will be leaving the company to pursue a career opportunity in North America.
Nielsen has committed to remain with FWD Group until August 31, 2023, including through its half-year results, to ensure a smooth transition, the company said in a statement.
FWD Group is undergoing an international search process for a new CFO.
“Our search process is moving at pace and we aim to announce our new Group CFO soon,” said chief executive officer Huynh Thanh Phong.
Nielsen joined FWD Group in October 2019 as the CFO. Before that, he spent 12 years at AIA, holding roles including CFO and chief risk officer.
Before joining AIA in Hong Kong, Nielsen worked in Europe’s financial industry.
GENERALI VIETNAM APPOINTS ACTING CEO
Vinay Dhareshwar was appointed acting CEO of Generali Vietnam, effective 18 May.
Tina Nguyen, the current CEO of Generali Vietnam, has decided to leave the group to pursue other opportunities. No other details were provided.
Franklin Templeton has hired Nicholas Chui as senior vice president and portfolio manager within Franklin Templeton Emerging Markets Equity’s China investment team.
Chui will take a leading role in managing China equity strategies, taking over from Michael Lai, portfolio manager at Franklin Templeton Emerging Markets Equity, who will be retiring from the company.
Based in Hong Kong, Chui reports to Sukumar Rajah, senior managing director and director of portfolio management for Franklin Templeton Emerging Markets Equity.
He joins Franklin Templeton from BlackRock, where he was a portfolio manager of its China equity strategy since 2020.
AlTi Tiedemann Global, an independent global wealth and asset manager with approximately $65 billion in assets under management has expanded in Singapore by completing its acquisition of AL Wealth Partners, an independent wealth manager.
AL Wealth Partners will be rebranded to AITi after the acquisition.
The acquisition expands AITi’s capabilities in an important growth region for ultra high net worth individuals, building on AlTi’s existing presence in Hong Kong.
AL Wealth Partners was founded in 2007 by entrepreneurs Anthonia Hui and Leonardo Drago to focus on the needs of UHNWI and family offices.
Hui and Drago will continue to lead the growth of AlTi’s wealth management offerings in Singapore, as part of AlTi’s international wealth management business, which is led by Robert Weeber.
Hui will be head of Singapore, International Wealth Management, AlTi and Drago will be head of investments, Singapore.
JLL APPOINTS AUSTRALIA, NZ CAPITAL MARKETS HEAD
Real estate advisory firm JLL has appointed Luke Billiau as head of capital markets in Australia and New Zealand.
Billiau will assume responsibility for JLL’s capital markets platform in Australia, with oversight for its investment and transaction advisory offering to clients.
Billiau will lead a national team of over 140 professionals across Australia across all major asset classes including office, retail, logistics, living and alternatives.
Billiau was head of capital markets in New South Wales and head of office investments in Australia.
He joined JLL in 2007 in Brisbane and relocated to Sydney in late 2019 for the role of head of capital markets in New South Wales.
HINES BUILDS OUT JAPAN TEAM
Real estate asset management firm Hines has hired Kiyohito Motoyama as director of logistics and industrial, Saiko Ishii as director of leading the asset management of acquisitions and Ryo Shiino as director of compliance.
All three will be based in Tokyo, and report to Jon Tanaka, senior managing director, Japan.
Motoyama brings 15 years of experience in the Japanese real estate market including 10 years specialising in logistics development and asset management.
He joins the firm from Mitsubishi Jisho Investment Advisors.
Ishii comes with 20 years of experience in acquisitions, asset management and portfolio management in the Japanese real estate market, most recently as chief investment officer of Prologis REIT Management K.K.
As director of asset management at Hines, Ishii will lead the asset management of acquisitions and developments across sectors within Japan.
Shiino will support the compliance activities for the firm’s investment management team in Asia-Pacific.
Prior to joining Hines, Shiino was the Asia Pacific compliance officer for Heitman across Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
Previously, he worked for 18 years collectively in audit and advisory services with Ernst & Young and PwC, primarily focusing on the real estate investment industry.
FORTITUDE RE SETS UP JAPAN OFFICE
Fortitude Re has opened a representative office in Tokyo and appointed Hajime Kawafuji as its chief representative.
Kawafuji will collaborate with Leonard Lin, head of Asia at Fortitude Re.
He joins Fortitude Re from global investment firm Carlyle, one of the investors backing Fortitude Re, where he was a senior member of the Japan buyout advisory team.
Prior to Carlyle, Kawafuji spent more than a decade at Nomura in its investment banking division.