Asset Management Awards: Individual winners, explained
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These five exceptional individuals were selected through a rigorous process of third-party nominations and editorial assessments by the AsianInvestor team.
After carefully evaluating numerous nominations, conducting extensive editorial discussions, and consulting with industry experts, we've identified the true standouts who are reshaping Asia's investment landscape.
These leaders exemplify excellence in their respective fields, demonstrating exceptional vision, strategic acumen, and a commitment to innovation that has earned them recognition from peers across the industry.
Each winner has not only delivered outstanding results but has also contributed significantly to advancing industry standards and practices.
Congratulations to our 2025 individual award winners – the visionaries who are defining the future of asset management in Asia.
Best CEO
Amy Cho, Head of Asia Pacific and CEO Singapore, M&G Investments
Amy Cho, who took on the role of Head of APAC and Singapore CEO at M&G in November 2023, has been awarded Best CEO for her strategic vision and impressive business expansion across the region.
Under Cho's leadership, M&G has set an ambitious target to double Asia's assets under management to £26 billion ($32 billion) by 2027, up from £13 billion in 2024—a goal that industry observers note she is well on track to achieve.
"Amy brings a rare combination of strategic thinking and execution excellence that has transformed M&G's presence in Asia," noted one nominator.
One of Cho's most significant achievements has been expanding M&G's reach into the retail sector. A standout success was the partnership with OCBC to distribute M&G's Optimal Income strategy to retail investors in Singapore, which raised over S$500 million in 2024. This partnership later expanded into a white-label collaboration with BOS Wealth Management in Malaysia that same year.
She has focused on strengthening M&G's presence across Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, advancing licensing arrangements and deepening relationships with asset owners and intermediaries throughout the region.
Industry insiders particularly praise Cho for her ability to identify M&G's boldness and originality in Asia as key points of differentiation in a competitive landscape.
Beyond her business achievements, Cho is recognised for her commitment to gender equality in finance, including her instrumental role in establishing the Hong Kong chapter of Bloomberg's Women's Buy-side Network—the first of its kind in Asia.
With her bold vision, strategic expansion initiatives, and commitment to both business growth and industry diversity, Amy Cho exemplifies the leadership qualities deserving of this year's Best CEO award.
Best CIO
Chai Chi Kit, Chief Investment Officer, SeaTown Holdings International
Chai Chi Kit, Chief Investment Officer at SeaTown, has been awarded Best CIO for his strategic leadership and impressive investment performance across multiple asset classes.
Drawing on his valuable allocator's perspective from previous roles, Chi Kit has successfully steered SeaTown's evolution toward developing sophisticated products and delivering tailored investment solutions to global clients.
Under his leadership, SeaTown has sharpened its focus on investments in Asia. Notably, Chi Kit’s contributions towards SeaTown’s public market strategies was mission-critical, as he oversaw the launch of its New Reality Asia (Asia Long/ Short Equity) and New Reality Sustainable Opportunities (Global Equity with Asia Nexus) strategies.
"Chi Kit has a remarkable ability to identify structural opportunities in the region that others miss," noted one industry observer. "His allocator background gives him a unique perspective on product development that resonates with institutional clients."
SeaTown's performance under Chi Kit's guidance has been exceptional, with the firm closing their second private credit fund with over $1.3 billion in commitments, bringing their private credit strategy AUM to more than $2.5 billion. This achievement contributed to SeaTown winning AsianInvestor's 'Best Private Debt Manager' award in April 2024.
Chi Kit, together with the rest of SeaTown’s senior management, has also championed transparency in sustainability practices, overseeing the release of SeaTown's first Sustainability Report in June 2024—a significant milestone for the firm.
Further, since its participation as a Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) signatory from 2021, SeaTown has achieved 4-5 stars across all modules of the PRI scorecard, underscoring its commitment to sustainable practices across its investment platform and corporate activities under Chi Kit’s leadership.
With his strategic vision spanning multiple asset classes and commitment to both performance and sustainability, Chai Chi Kit has established himself as one of the region's most forward-thinking investment leaders.
Leading Woman in Asset Management
Jessica Jones, Head of Asia, PGIM Investments
Jessica Jones has been awarded Leading Woman in Asset Management for her instrumental role in expanding PGIM Investments' footprint across Asia and her insightful thought leadership during a pivotal time for the region's investment landscape.
Since joining PGIM Investments in 2021 as managing director and head of Asia, Jones has successfully built out teams in Hong Kong and Singapore, establishing PGIM Investments' presence in a region experiencing unprecedented wealth management growth.
Drawing on her nearly 20 years’ industry experience, she has expanded the firm’s client network and partnership with private banks, family offices and global financial institutions in key Asian markets, which is key to its strategic growth plan.
"Jessica's exceptional ability to identify emerging trends and translate them into actionable investment insights for investors has established her as a trusted voice in Asia's investment community," noted one industry observer.
Jones has been influential in advocating private wealth investors for diversification into alternatives, recognising the tremendous opportunity in Asia. In addressing Asian high-net-worth investors’ underexposure to private markets, PGIM Investments is offering more accessible investment products while providing crucial education on portfolio diversification strategies.
As an industry thought leader, Jones has highlighted key opportunities in data centers, global private credit, active fixed income and growth equities, helping Asian investors navigate complex market conditions amid changing central bank policies.
Leveraging PGIM's global investment platform and local market expertise, Jones exemplifies the strategic vision and relationship-building excellence this award celebrates, making institutional-quality solutions more accessible to investors across Asia.
Trailblazer
Fu Wei, CEO, CBC Group
Fu Wei, CEO of CBC Group, Asia's largest healthcare-focused asset manager, has earned the Trailblazer award for pioneering a revolutionary approach to healthcare investment that goes far beyond traditional capital allocation.
He has also spearheaded the pioneering development of a leading healthcare royalty fund and a healthcare infrastructure fund in Asia, partnering with global leading investors.
Fu has distinguished himself through CBC's unique "investor-operator" model, which actively shapes portfolio companies through governance, leadership selection, and hands-on operational guidance. This "Buy & Build" approach represents a significant departure from conventional minority investing in growth strategies in the healthcare sector.
"Fu Wei doesn't just write checks – he builds companies," remarked one industry observer. "His approach combines deep financial expertise with genuine healthcare industry knowledge in a way few others can match."
Under Fu's leadership, CBC Group has successfully bridged capital with industry expertise, allowing investments to drive not just financial returns but also meaningful sector-wide transformation. This holistic approach to healthcare investment has attracted significant investor confidence, evidenced by CBC’s assets under management of over $9 billion, which makes it Asia’s largest healthcare-dedicated asset management firm.
Fu embodies an honest and disciplined investment philosophy that emphasises the importance of recognising market cycles and past investment patterns while avoiding unsustainable ventures. His pragmatic leadership style advocates moving beyond trend-following to actively optimising resources, integrating companies, and focusing on fundamentals.
A standout example of Fu's execution capabilities is CBC’s pioneering incubation of Everest Medicines, one of China’s earliest investor-driven biotechnology companies. Founded in 2017 under CBC’s innovative investor-operator model, Everest achieved a successful IPO by 2020—within just three years—while commercializing three blockbuster drugs in seven years. Most strikingly, over the past 18 months (September 2023 to March 2025), its stock price soared over 780%, climbing from HKD 6 to HKD 55, driving its market value past HKD 16 billion—a nearly ninefold increase from its 2022 low—cementing its status as an industry leader.
By combining investment acumen with operational expertise and a focus on sustainable healthcare solutions, Fu Wei has established himself as a true trailblazer in Asia's asset management landscape.
Sustainability Champion
Edward Northam, Head of Renewable Energy and Head of Asia Pacific for Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) Green Investments
Edward Northam has been awarded Sustainability Champion for his profound contribution to scaling renewable energy investments and pioneering innovative approaches to the energy transition across Asia Pacific.
With nearly three decades of experience in renewable energy, Northam brings a uniquely practical perspective to sustainability investing. His journey—from project developer to leading the UK Green Investment Bank (later acquired by Macquarie) to his current role heading Macquarie's renewables division—has positioned him as one of the region's most influential voices in sustainable finance.
"Northam's approach to sustainable investing demolishes the myth that impact requires compromising returns," noted one industry observer. "He consistently demonstrates how properly structured renewable investments can deliver attractive financial performance while accelerating decarbonisation."
Under his leadership, Macquarie has expanded its renewable energy footprint across key Asian markets including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and India. Northam has been instrumental in developing offshore wind projects both with Macquarie and through Corio Generation, Macquarie's specialised global offshore wind business. He has also supported Macquarie’s work to launch Blueleaf, an Asian solar developer, as well as the Indian EV leasing business, Vertelo.
His strategic vision focuses on a three-stage approach to energy transition: first decarbonising electricity generation through renewables, then electrifying transport, and finally supporting industrial decarbonisation through green fuels and hydrogen. This comprehensive framework has guided Macquarie's investment decisions across the sustainability spectrum.
Northam has also been pivotal in mobilizing both institutional and private wealth capital into climate solutions—recognising that the energy transition represents "the biggest investment opportunity of our lifetimes" requiring unprecedented capital deployment of up to $6 trillion annually through 2050.
For his practical approach to sustainable finance, strategic vision across multiple technologies, and success in channeling capital into Asia's energy transition, Northam exemplifies the qualities of a true Sustainability Champion.