Weekly roundup of people news, April 26
FORMER FUTURE FUND DEPUTY CIO JOINS BLUE OWL
Blue Owl Capital, a $257 billion alternative asset manager, appointed Alicia Gregory as managing director, based in Sydney.
Gregory brings with her more than 25 years of extensive experience in the asset management industry, most notably as the former deputy chief investment officer of Australia's sovereign wealth fund, the Future Fund.
Prior to this, she was a senior member at MLC Super Fund, managing over 40 co-investment transactions and handling a fund portfolio valued at $5 billion.
Gregory also serves as a director on the boards of the Australian Investment Council and Tilt Renewables.
UBS AM EXEC HUANG MIN JOINS MSIM
Former UBS Asset Management’s head of China client coverage Huang Min joined Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) as head of Greater China, the firm confirmed to AsianInvestor.
In the newly created role, Huang reports to Michael Levin, head of Asia. Huang is based in Hong Kong.
She will have responsibilities across the firm’s business platforms and distribution in Greater China, including partnering with the China management team to strengthen its onshore fund management company, and growing Qualified Domestic Limited Partnership offerings, according to an internal memo.
MSIM took full ownership if its China mutual fund joint venture in February 2023.
Before joining MSIM, Huang was head of China client coverage at UBS Asset Management, a role she took in June 2023 following the Swiss bank’s acquisition of Credit Suisse.
AsianInvestor understands that she left UBS in January. There will be no direct replacement, while the responsibilities are covered within the bank’s global structure.
Before the acquisition, Huang was Credit Suisse’s head of asset management, Asia Pacific.
She had been with Credit Suisse since 2006 in various roles.
MSIM HIRES CARLYLE EXECUTIVE FOR SE ASIA, HK SALES ROLE
Vikram Lokur was appointed head of institutional sales for Southeast Asia and Hong Kong at Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM).
Based in Singapore, Lokur joins MSIM from the Carlyle Group, where he worked in various capacities.
A MSIM spokesperson said this is a newly created role.
This appointment follows the hire of Min Huang from UBS Asset Management (see above), as MSIM establishes dedicated sales teams across Greater China and Southeast Asia to cover institutional and intermediary clients.
“Vikram’s previous responsibilities as managing director, client relationship manager, were primarily limited to Southeast Asia, and are being overseen by Alan Su who is a seasoned industry veteran and partner and managing director at Carlyle. We’re not looking at a replacement,” a Carlyle Group spokesperson told AsianInvestor.
HKEX ANNOUNCES NEW CHAIRMAN
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing appointed Carlson Tong as the new chairman, succeeding retired Laura Cha following the conclusion of its annual general meeting (AGM) on April 24.
The appointment is subject to written approval from Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee.
Cha was appointed as senior advisor to the board from April 25, 2024 to April 25, 2025.
Cha will continue to serve as chairman of HKEX’s international advisory council and mainland China advisory group.
AsianInvestor reported the planned appointment of Tong on March 22.
Tong has been HKEX’s independent non-executive director since April 26, 2023. His term as chairman will be the same as his directorship term – ending after the 2025 AGM.
As the new chairman, Tong will work alongside Bonnie Chan, who became HKEX’s new chief executive officer on March 1.
Tong, 69, has spent over 30 years of his career with KPMG. He was also chairman of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and chairman of Hong Kong securities regulator Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) over the course of his career.
Tong is also a non-official member of the inaugural board of the Hong Kong Investment Corporation, and independent non-executive director of the MTR Corporation.
TAIWAN NAMES NEW FSC CHAIRMAN
Peng Jin-lung, an insurance professor at the National Chengchi University, was appointed as the next chairman of Taiwan’s financial regulator, the Financial Supervisory Commission, under a four-year term, succeeding Huang Tien-mu.
This came as the new Taiwan administration led by Lai Ching-te announced members of its new cabinet recently.
Peng will take the new role on May 20 when the new government takes office.
Peng joined the university in 2011.
Before his academic career, Peng held senior roles in several local insurance firms and industry groups. He has been a director of KGI Life Insurance, formerly China Life Insurance Company, since 2014.
The outgoing chairman Huang has been with FSC for over 10 years. He was appointed chairman in 2020.
M&G REAL ESTATE APPOINTS AUSTRALIA HEAD
M&G Real Estate (M&G) promoted Alexander Banzic to head of Australia, effective April 1.
Based in Sydney, Banzic reports to Jing Dong Lai, CEO and CIO at M&G Real Estate Asia.
He replaces James MacKinnon, who has left to pursue personal interests, a spokesperson told AsianInvestor.
Banzic was previously director of asset management for M&G Real Estate in Australia. His new role is an expansion of responsibilities and includes his previous remit, the spokesperson added.
He previously held roles at DWS Group’s real estate team in Australia, KordaMentha and EG Funds, including a secondment to Westpac Bank.
CHARLES RUSSELL SPEECHLYS HIRES IN HONG KONG
Law firm Charles Russell Speechlys (CRS) appointed Shirley Fu as partner (commercial and corporate) in the firm’s business advisory and transaction services (BATS) team, effective May 2.
Based in Hong Kong, Fu will report to Simon Green, head of Asia.
She specialises in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and both corporate and commercial matters. She generally advises private and public listed companies and private equity clients on all types of transactions, including M&A, restructuring, and joint ventures.
Fu joins from KPMG Law-affiliated SF Lawyers in Hong Kong.
She will be joined by three others from SF Lawyers: Tom Wong, senior legal manager, along with senior associates Rachel Kan and Bessie Chow.
SF Lawyers did not respond to AsianInvestor's enquiries at the time of publication.