Weekly roundup of people news, Nov 1
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CPP INVESTMENTS’ PE HEAD FOR ASIA LEAVES
Frank Su, managing director and head of private equity in Asia at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, or CPP Investments, has left, a spokesperson confirmed to AsianInvestor.
Based in Hong Kong, Su has been with the Canadian pension fund since 2014. He has also worked previously at Bain Capital, Ericsson and COFCO.
CPP Investments did not respond to a query on on whether a successor has been named.
AXA ALTS LEAD IN ASIA JOINS MORNINGSTAR
AXA’s former alternative investment lead in Asia Sabrina Du joined Morningstar as senior analyst on Asia-based fund managers in late September, the company told AsianInvestor.
Du will continue to be based in Hong Kong. She reports to Germaine Share, director of manager research for Asia.
Du spent over five years with AXA, responsible for the French insurer’s alternative investments in Asia, across real estate, private equity, infrastructure and venture, including deal sourcing in the region as well as AXA Hong Kong’s alternative investments globally.
She also worked at Goodman Group, JLL, and CBRE.
AXA declined to comment on Du's replacement.
BLACKROCK APAC FIXED INCOME VETERAN TO LEAVE
Neeraj Seth, BlackRock’s head of APAC fundamental fixed income and chief investment officer of the unit, will be leaving the firm after 16 years, a BlackRock spokesperson confirmed to AsianInvestor.
He will continue to run the funds he oversees until December 1 and stay with the firm until February 2025.
His responsibilities will be taken over by Navin Saigal and Stephen Gough.
Saigal becomes head of fundamental fixed income, Asia Pacific, with immediate effect, while Gough, head of Asia credit, continues to lead portfolio management for Asia credit.
Seth announced on his LinkedIn that he will embark on an entrepreneurial journey next year and will still be based in Singapore.
Prior to joining BlackRock in 2009, he was a senior vice president focusing on the Asia Pacific market for R3 Capital Partners.
Saigal was previously head of Asia macro based in Singapore. He joined BlackRock in New York in 2011 as a fixed income portfolio manager and relocated to Singapore in November last year.
Gough joined BlackRock in 2014 as a portfolio manager in London, and moved to Singapore in 2022 to head Asia credit.
CBUS NAMES CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER
Cbus Super formally appointed Bernie Dean as chief strategy officer.
Bernie will continue to lead the strategy and corporate affairs functions at Cbus. He has been in the role in an acting capacity since July.
Dean was previously chief executive at Industry Super Australia (ISA) for six years.
Dean's appointment comes amid organisational changes at Cbus, which has seen several senior departures including heads of compliance, brand and marketing, communications and insights, strategy, and investment relations as part of the fund's growth strategy.
SEVIORA APPOINTS ESG HEAD
Seviora, an investment manager subsidiary of Singapore’s Temasek, named Kenneth Ho as head of environmental, social and governance, the firm announced in a LinkedIn post.
Ho will lead development and implementation of Seviora’s ESG strategy and drive the integration of ESG considerations into our investment decision-making process.
He will continue in his role of head of ESG management at SeaTown Holdings International, a Seviora asset management company.
PHILIPPINES’ SSS NAMES NEW OFFICER IN CHARGE
Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. named Social Security System (SSS) Executive Vice President for the Branch Operations Sector Voltaire P. Agas as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) for the social security entity.
Agas started his career at the SSS in 2012 as chief legal counsel, a position he held until 2022.
Since March 2022, he has been overseeing all SSS branch operations nationwide, including membership expansion programs, contribution collections, and benefit processing.
He is the first career official to rise from the ranks of the SSS to OIC.
MUZINICH & CO. NAMES ASIA FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES AND WEALTH HEAD
Muzinich & Co., a corporate credit specialist, appointed Sashi Nambiar in the newly created role of head of financial intermediaries and wealth, Asia, as it continues its expansion in the region.
He will be based in Singapore and report to Andrew Tan, chief executive officer, Asia-Pacific.
Sashi will lead the firm’s engagement with private banks and family offices across Asia, including Singapore, Hong Kong, South and Southeast Asia.
He joins from PGIM Investments, where he was most recently head of Southeast Asia. He also worked at Wellington Management.
NINETY ONE APPOINTS HEAD OF SEA ADVISOR BUSINESS
Ninety One appointed Andrea Ng as head of Southeast Asia advisor business.
Based in Singapore, Ng will be responsible for driving business growth, as well as building and managing relationships across the firm’s intermediary and private banking clients.
Andrea will work closely with Eric Fu, managing director and country head, Greater China, and Kevin Kong, managing director, Singapore.
Ng was previously with Muzinich & Co as business development director, Asia.
She has also worked previously with First State Investments, Man Group and Credit Suisse.
AsianInvestor understands a search for Ng’s successor at Muzinich & Co is underway.
GAM HIRES MD FOR AUSTRALIA
GAM Investments has appointed Eric Finnell as managing director for Australia, based in Sydney.
He replaces Alex Zaika, who departed in September to become CEO of Global X Australia.
Finnell joins from Bennelong Funds Management, where he was head of institutional, managing institutional marketing and client servicing for the firm's investment boutiques across Asia Pacific.
His career includes 12 years at Fisher Investments, where he established their Australian office, and earlier experience as a financial adviser at Ameriprise Financial.
He reports to global head of client solutions Rossen Djounov.
The Swiss investment manager plans to add another team member in the coming months to support its growing Australian business.