Weekly roundup of people news, Sept 27
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FWD APPOINTS NEW GROUP CIO
FWD appointed Gavin Chan to succeed Andreas Hoffmann, who is leaving the pan-Asian insurance firm after four years as group chief investment officer, AsianInvestor can reveal.
A spokesperson confirmed that Chan started as acting group CIO at FWD’s Hong Kong headquarters earlier this month, declining to comment further.
Chan was previously Singapore-based senior vice president at Pacific Century Group (PCG), tycoon Richard Li's Hong Kong-headquartered investment firm, which owns FWD.
A fund management executive familiar with PCG said Chan's duties effectively focused on "trying to find new investments and getting them done, across the [asset] spectrum".
Chan brings nearly two decades of experience from various investment, strategic, risk management and corporate development roles, including experience in the insurance sector. He is a chartered financial analyst and a qualified actuary.
Chan previously held roles in London with hedge fund manager Elliott Advisors, insurer Rothesay Life, investment bank Goldman Sachs and consultancy KPMG.
AUSTRALIAN SUPER HIRES CHIEF LIQUIDITY OFFICER
AustralianSuper appointed Chandu Bhindi as its first chief liquidity officer, effective January 2025.
Bhindi, who will report to Chief Investment Officer Mark Delaney, joins from Commonwealth Bank where he was general manager of capital management and stress testing.
He has also worked at Yellow Brick Road, Credit Suisse and Westpac.
His appointment reflects AustralianSuper's focus on managing liquidity as the fund continues its evolution into a major global investor with a growing appetite for private markets.
JUNE CHUA LEAVES LOMBARD ODIER IM
June Chua left Lombard Odier Investment Managers in August, AsianInvestor understands.
Based in Hong Kong, Chua was most recently head of Asia and emerging market equities and portfolio manager at Lombard Odier Investment Managers, which she joined in 2021.
She is expected to take a career break, according to her LinkedIn profile.
“This time away would allow me to explore new experiences... I am excited to discover how these experiences can shape my path and lead to innovative contributions in my next role, whatever it may be,” she said.
She previously held senior roles at Harvest Global Investments, PineBridge Investments, and AIG Investments.
MOONFARE HIRES APAC CHIEF FROM BLACKSTONE
Moonfare, a private equity platform and digital manager, hired Adam Banks as its new Singapore-based head of the Asia-Pacific region.
He succeeds Kit Toh, who was head of APAC and Singapore CEO since 2022.
Banks joins from Blackstone, where he was a Singapore-based principal. He previously worked in London for Brookfield Asset Management, EQT Group, and Jubilee Financial Products.
FOORD AM HIRES PORTFOLIO MANAGER FROM EASTSPRING
Foord Asset Management appointed Dalphin Hou as client portfolio manager in Singapore, effective immediately.
She is responsible for articulating the strategy, process, positioning, and performance of Foord's investment team, as well as supporting sales and marketing activities for both institutional and retail clients.
Hou previously held roles at Eastspring Investments as a client portfolio manager and at Artisan Partners, where she conducted equity research for the global equity Team.
She also worked at Manulife Investment Management, Lion Global Investors, and Abrdn.
TT INTERNATIONAL HIRES THREE FROM BNP PARIBAS AM
Specialist investment manager TT International expanded its emerging markets (EM) debt team.
TT previously announced that Jean-Charles Sambor, formerly EM debt head and lead portfolio manager of EM debt strategies at BNP Paribas Asset Management, joined the company.
Three additional hires come from the same asset manager.
Alex Zunega joins TT as portfolio manager based in London as was previously EM debt portfolio manager at BNP Paribas AM.
Stefan Roessler also joins as portfolio manager in London and was previously EM fixed income portfolio manager at BNPP AM.
Ronald Huang joins as senior analyst based in Hong Kong. He was a credit analyst at BNPP AM.
Di Wang also joins as senior analyst in Hong Kong. His most recent role was investment banker focused on restructuring for Moelis & Company for two years.
Finally, Michael Lam joins as senior trader based in London. He was previously with Jupiter Asset Management.
They will work closely with TT’s 17 existing investment professionals located in London, Hong Kong, India, Brazil and Mexico, who conduct macro research and company analysis across emerging markets.
GLOBAL X NAMES NEW CEO
Global X appointed Alex Zaika as its new chief executive, effective November 4.
Zaika replaces Evan Metcalf, who steps down in October after leading Global X since 2022.
Zaika joins from GAM Investments, where he served as managing director and local head for the Australian market since July 2018.
His career includes roles as head of wealth for iShares Australia at BlackRock, vice president of investor solutions at Barclays Capital, and positions at Macquarie Bank, Skandia, Zurich Insurance, and AMP.
COLLIERS BUILDS OUT HOTELS DIVISION IN JAPAN
Colliers announced the launch of its Hotels & Hospitality Services division in Japan, effective October 1.
Kei Sumiyoshi was named senior director & head of hotels and hospitality, reporting to Yukihiro Ogasawara, managing director and chairman of Colliers in Japan.
He was previously at Jones Lang LaSalle K.K. and Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory.
The new division will offer transactional services, consulting, and valuations for hotel and hospitality-related assets.
This expansion aligns with Japan's goal to attract 60 million inbound tourists by 2030 and reflects Colliers' growing global presence in hotel and hospitality services across the US, Europe, and Asia.
HSBC AM APPOINTS GLOBAL CIO FOR EQUITY
HSBC Asset Management appointed Pierin Menzli as global CIO, equity, to lead its active equity platform.
Based in Switzerland, Pierin will report to Xavier Baraton, global chief investment officer.
He succeeds Vis Nayar, who joined Eastspring in June as global CIO.
The active equity platform manages about $30 billion of assets globally across various strategies.
Pierin will also help in accelerating business growth for the platform specifically focused on emerging markets (EM) & Asia and thematic and other specialised strategies.
He was previously head of thematic equities at Bank J. Safra Sarasin.