Weekly roundup of people news, Sept 25
INVESTMENT DIRECTOR EXITS CHINA EVERBRIGHT
Jason Chen, formerly an investment director at China Everbright, recently left the Hong Kong-based investment and banking group, AsianInvestor can reveal. He was responsible for managing principal capital in China-related strategic and high conviction investments, pre-IPOs and alternative credit, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Chen's regulatory licence with China Everbright Assets Management ended on September 11, show Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission records.
A China Everbright spokesman declined to comment on when he officially left the firm. But he added that Chen lef of his own accord and the company has made appropriate arrangements for the continuation of the relevant segment’s business.
AsianInvestor could not ascertain Chen's next destination.
OMERS’ REAL ESTATE ARM NAMES APAC EVP IN RESHUFFLE
Oxford Properties Group, the real estate investment arm of Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (Omers), has appointed David Matheson as executive vice president for Asia Pacific in a leadership reorganisation, effective October 1.
Matheson is currently managing director and head of Asia Pacific, reporting to Paul Brundage, executive vice-president of Europe and Asia Pacific. Matheson will rise to the new post when Brundage leaves his role to become deputy chair of investments at Omers.
At the same time Joanne McNamara, managing director and head of Europe, will take up the role of executive vice-president for Europe.
Brundage’s position has been replaced with two new roles to reflect the growing size and importance of Oxford’s Asia Pacific and European businesses, Oxford Properties said in a statement. “The change marks the next stage of Oxford’s plan to transition regional leadership to align with its global growth strategy."
Matheson and McNamara will join Oxford’s executive leadership team and report to its president, Michael Turner. The two individuals were promoted to their current roles when Oxford revamped its global leadership team in July last year.
Brundage will remain in London and work alongside Omers’ investment businesses on a variety of global initiatives and report to its chief investment officer, Satish Rai. He will work closely with Matheson and McNamara over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition, said the release.
AMP CAPITAL SETS UP ASIA DEBT INFRASTRUCTURE TEAM
Australian fund manager AMP Capital has established a new team based in Singapore and Sydney to launch a new infrastructure debt investment strategy for Asia Pacific.
The new strategy team has already been set up and is headed by Simon La Greca, an experienced partner in AMP Capital and its head of infrastructure debt for Asia. Based in Sydney, La Greca reports to Patrick Trears, global head of infrastructure debt for AMP Capital.
La Greca has been with AMP Capital for 17 years, focusing on Asia Pacific as part of AMP Capital’s global debt funds investment team, a spokesman told AsianInvestor. He had previously worked at Deutsche Bank.
In addition, Justin Chan-Sew was internally shifted to be a principal for the new infrastructure debt team in Singapore, while Justin McRae internally moved to be an associate director and Rob Fogarty became the fund controller for the new strategy. They are both based in Sydney. All report to La Greca.
CHINA CINDA ASSET MANAGEMENT HIRES DIRECTOR
Daniel Xing joined China Cinda Asset Management in Hong Kong as a director in September, AsianInvestor understands.
China Cinda AM did not respond to emailed questions about Xing’s appointment. The firm is one of the so-called 'bad banks' set up to manage non-performing assets from Chinese banks.
Xing was investment director at Chinese investment firm Casin Group from April 2019 till his move to China Cinda.
Prior to that, Xing was a senior investment manager at Chinese conglomerate HNA. He managed outbound private equity investment.
PEAK RE NAMES DIRECTOR OF MARKETS
Peak Reinsurance has appointed Andrew Souter as director of markets, effective early November.
Based in Hong Kong, Souter will "will help to bring unique and innovative (re)insurance solutions to both Pear Re's customers and investors as the company expands further, a company spokeswoman said. He will also be responsible for developing Peak Re's property and casualty reinsurance business.
Peak Re declined to comment on his reporting line and whether he has replaced someone.
He is joining the reinsurer from Pioneer Underwriters where he was London-based head of capital. Pioneer Underwriters declined to comment on his departure.
VANGUARD NAMES GM FOR UPCOMING CHINA ENTITY
Vanguard has appointed Luo Dengpan as general manager of a fund management company (FMC) it is setting up in Shanghai, the location of its new Asian headquarters.
The US fund house is preparing its application to the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) for the FMC licence, which allows a foreign fund house to sell mutual and private funds to onshore clients.
Vanguard has a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (Wfoe) in China, but it does not have a private fund management (PFM) licence there. A spokesman declined to comment on whether Vanguard will move to merge the Wfoe and the new FMC when it secures the licence from CSRC.
Until the new entity is set up, Luo holds the title of head of China fund management for the Shanghai-based role and reports to Scott Conking, Asia head of Vanguard. The spokesman said his reporting line will be shared once they become available.
Luo was previously chief executive and general manager of Shenzhen-based DaCheng Fund Management. He resigned from that role in July last year and was succeeded by deputy general manager Tan Xiaogang.
Vanguard announced in August that it was shutting its Tokyo and Hong Kong offices, having closed its Singapore office in 2018.
SSGA REPLACES HONG KONG ETF HEAD
State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) has appointed Joanne Siu as Hong Kong head of SPDR ETFs, effective September 22.
She replaces Ray Chan, who left the firm in April this year and has joined Taikang Asset Management right after as executive director covering strategic developments for retirement market and funds distribution.
Siu reports to Sydney-based Meaghan Victor, head of Asia Pacific distribution for SPDR ETFs. Before joining SSGA, Siu had a short stint as the Hong Kong-based sales director at rival Jupiter Asset Management, spanning February to September this year.
Siu previously worked at SSGA from 2005 to 2011, initially on its fund accounting team and latterly as an assistant manager, according to her LinkedIn profile. She then worked at BlackRock and several other companies, before joining Samsung Asset Management as a sales director from July 2016 to February 2020.
Siu left Jupiter followed the firm's acquisition of rival UK fund house Merian Global Investors in February this year. Her responsibilities have been taken on by existing staff for the time being, and the firm plans to replace her, said a Jupiter spokeswoman.
T. ROWE PRICE NAMES INTERMEDIARIES HEAD FOR AUSTRALIA AND NZ
T. Rowe Price has appointed Sydney-based Jonathon Ross as head of intermediary business for Australia and New Zealand as of September 1.
He succeeds and will continue to report to Darren Hall, who has been promoted to head of distribution for Australia and New Zealand to replace Murray Brewer, who has retired.
Ross joined T. Rowe Price in 2015 as a relationship manager and has been acting head of intermediary business since May, as Hall was transiting into his new role, said a spokeswoman.
BNY MELLON IM HIRES SALES DUO
BNY Mellon Investment Management has added to its institutional and intermediary distribution teams in Hong Kong.
Barnaby Jones joined as vice president for institutional distribution on July 6 and reports to Eric Yu, head of Greater China institutional distribution. Jones fills the role left empty after Yu was promoted to his current position in November 2019.
Previously, Jones was a Hong Kong-based associate director for institutional business at UK firm M&G Investments.
Meanwhile, Victor Lam joined started on September 7 as vice president for intermediary distribution and reports to Singapore-based Nicolas Kopitsis, head of intermediary distribution for Asia ex Japan. BNY Mellon told AsianInvestor that this is a new area of focus for the business targeting Hong Kong’s retail banks, family offices, online platforms and digital banks.
Lam was previously associate director for private banking at Hong Kong fund house Value Partners and left the company in February. Value Partners declined to say whether he had been replaced.
M&G Investments did not respond to emailed queries about Jones' departure.
RAFFLES FAMILY OFFICE NAMES MANAGING PARTNER
Raffles Family Office has named Danny Wong as Hong Kong-based managing partner. The role has been created as the firm accelerates its expansion in Asia, said a company spokesman.
Wong took up the role on September 1 and reports to Ray Tam, another Hong Kong-based managing partner.
Wong will provide independent asset management, wealth management and wealth transfer services to clients, according to Raffles Family Office.
He was previously a team head at Standard Chartered private bank in Hong Kong, where he oversaw a team that helped corporate clients maximise returns and manage credit risks. StanChart declined to comment on his departure.
HSBC APPOINTS HEAD OF HK WEALTH AND PERSONAL BANKING
HSBC has hired Maggie Ng from IG Group as its new head of Hong Kong wealth and personal banking, starting on December 1.
In her new position, Ng will report to Greg Hingston. Previously the head of Hong Kong coverage, he was promoted on April 1 to regional head of wealth and personal banking.
Ng will join HSBC from IG Group, an online trading provider, where she was chief executive for Greater China. She is a financial technology devotee, having previously co-founded Assured Asset Management, a fintech wealth and asset management company.
A spokesman for HSBC declined to comment on how many Hong Kong clients were covered by the bank’s wealth and personal banking department. He did not respond to questions on the headcount of the division.
IG Group has started a search for Ng's replacement.
This story has been updated to show IG Group is seeking a replacement for Ng.
Other people news reported by AsianInvestor in the past week:
OTPP opens Singapore office, adds execs in region
Article updated to reflect BNY Mellon Investment Management feedback on the reasons for it hiring Barnaby Jones and Victor Lam.