Weekly roundup of people news, May 24
MSCI LOSES CHIA CHIN PING, HIRES KOREA SALES HEAD
US-based index and analytics provider MSCI has seen its Asia-Pacific head of research, Chia Chin Ping, depart, but has hired Tay Kim as head of client coverage for South Korea.
After his 18-year stint at MSCI, Chia said he did not have another role lined up at present and would be exploring opportunities.
Sebastien Lieblich, global head of research and Chia’s former boss, is now interim head of Asia-Pacific research, an MSCI spokesman told AsianInvestor. He declined to say whether it would be naming a replacement for Chia.
Meanwhile, Kim joined MSCI from US fund house Franklin Templeton on April 1 to oversee client coverage for South Korea. Based in Seoul, she reports to Kazuya Nagasawa, Tokyo-based head of North Asia coverage.
Kim is understood to be the most senior executive in MSCI’s Seoul office. As such, she appears to have replaced Um Tae-Jong, who was head of Korea from the office opening in 2012 until January 2018. Um’s responsibilities had included overseeing client coverage.
The spokesman declined to comment on whether Kim had succeeded anyone.
She was previously Korea head of institutional business at Franklin Templeton, where she worked for 13 years. She has also had senior roles at Citibank and SK Securities.
Kim’s last day at Franklin Templeton was March 31. A spokeswoman said Jeong Goeun would continue in the role of institutional sales manager to provide ongoing support to clients in Korea, but declined to confirm specifically on whether Kim would be replaced.
ENERGY SUPER APPOINTS CIO
Energy Super has named Kevin Wan Lum chief investment officer of the A$7.8 billion ($5.37 billion) superannuation fund, effective May, according to a media release.
Lum is based in Brisbane, according to his Linkedin profile.
Lum took on the role after the departure of Bill Graus, general manager of investment, in February.
In his new role, Lum will head a team of three investment specialists to implement investment strategies.
Lum joined from Vic Super as head of real assets and alternatives, senior portfolio manager and acting CIO. He left in March, based on his Linkedin profile but the fund did not respond to queries on whether his replacement has been identified.
CREDIT SUISSE APPOINTS SENIOR EXEC FOR CHINA
Credit Suisse has promoted Tan Mae Shen to senior specialist of family office services for Asia Pacific. She joins the dedicated wealth planning services desk for Greater China that the bank set up this month.
Based in Hong Kong, Tan is responsible for serving ultra-high-net-worth families in Greater China. She reports to Thomas Ang, Singapore-based head of family office services for Asia Pacific.
Tan joined Credit Suisse’s Asia Pacific family office services team in 2017 in Singapore. The bank declined to comment on who would succeed Tan or on other staffing arrangements for the Greater China wealth planning services team.
FORMER CSRC CHAIRMAN UNDER INVESTIGATION
Liu Shiyu, former chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, is suspected of violating the law.
He has turned himself in and is cooperating with the communist party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the commission said in a statement on May 19, without further elaboration.
Liu was chairman of the securities watchdog between February 2016 and January 2019 before being replaced by Yi Huiman.
M&G NAMES INVESTMENT DIRECTOR
M&G Investments has appointed Michael Dyer as investment director, effective May and based in Hong Kong.
Dyer will work closely with the UK firm’s multi-asset team with a focus on the client service and distribution teams. He reports to Ana Cuddeford, head of multi-asset investment specialists, who is based in London.
M&G said Dyer's role was newly created and his duties had previously been handled from London.
Dyer joined the asset manager from Neuberger Berman, where he was a client portfolio manager in equities and alternatives. He left at the end of April, the firm’s spokewoman said, but she declined to comment on whether his replacement has been identified.
UBS ADDS PORTFOLIO MANAGER TO WEALTH MANAGEMENT IN SINGAPORE
UBS Wealth Management has appointed Charles Pope as portfolio manager in Singapore. According to his LinkedIn profile, Pope joined UBS WM in May. UBS WM has not replied inquiries as to whether Pope joined in a new position or filled a vacant position.
Pope was previously an investment analyst at independent wealth manager Mindful Wealth in Singapore, a position he left in April 2019 after more than three years, according to his LinkedIn profile. Mindful has not replied to inquiries regarding when Pope left or who has taken over his responsibilities.
AQR CAPITAL APPOINTS VP FOR BIZ DEVELOPMENT
AQR Capital has hired Greg Folan to be its vice president within the business development group in Hong Kong.
Folan joined the US-based investment manager on May 17 and is responsible for building relationships with institutional investors throughout Asia. He reports to Matei Mihalca, who leads the firm’s business development activities in the Asia region.
This is a new role expanding the firm’s resources in the region, a company spokeswoman said, without being more specific.
Folan joined AQR from US-based private investment firm Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), where he held the position of Singapore-based regional director for global client group, according to his LinkedIn profile. DFA declined to comment on his departure.
This piece has been updated to correct the name of the firm to AQR Capital from ADR Capital.
GENESIS APPOINTS ADVISORS TO NEW VENTURE DEBT BUSINESS UNIT
Victor Sassoon, Tommy Tan and Tony Huang have been appointed advisors to Genesis Alternative Ventures (GAV), a venture debt business division of Singapore-based Genesis that targets the start-up market in Southeast Asia.
It launched earlier in May 2019, seeking to appeal to entrepreneurs looking to fund the next stage of their business growth.
Sassoon is the executive chairman of Sassoon Investment Corporation (SassCorp) and is a serial entrepreneur in US and Asia. Tan is founding partner of TC Capital, an investment bank that serves middle-market companies and private equity firms, and was formerly regional investment banking head at Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch. Huang has worked in venture debt veteran for two decades with experience in Silicon Valley and Asia’s venture capital industry.
GAV is anchored by (SassCorp), family office of the Sassoon family, and PT Bank CIMB Niaga as a strategic partner in Indonesia. PT Bank CIMB Niaga is the second largest private national bank in Indonesia in terms of assets. GAV so far backs three companies, with eight more in pipeline, according to a press release.
Genesis claims to be Southeast Asia’s first independent venture debt business. Genesis offers alternative debt financing for start-ups in Southeast Asia. Genesis Alternative Ventures was founded in 2018 by Ben Benjamin, Jeremy Loh, and Martin Tang.
Other people news reported by AsiaInvestor in the last week: