Fidelity subsidiary Pyramis creates Asia sales head role

The current round of sales hiring by fund managers continues, as Shen Tan joins US firm Pyramis Global Advisors in Hong Kong as head of institutional sales and client relationships for Asia ex-Japan.

“The addition of sales and client service professionals in Asia is the next step in our planned global expansion,” a company spokesman tells AsianInvestor.

Last year, Pyramis added similar resources in Europe, Middle East and Africa markets and it plans to add staff to serve institutional investors in Japan in the months ahead. Having opened its Asia office in Hong Kong last year, the institutional asset manager plans to continue the build-out of its global equity research and portfolio-management teams. 

Having assumed his newly created role last month, Tan reports to Kevin Uebelein, chief executive of Pyramis. Tan will continue his focus on developing solutions for sovereign wealth funds, central banks and other institutions. His particular emphasis will be on global long-only and long/short equity strategies -- particularly in the global small-cap sector -- and fixed-income investments.

Pyramis had $144 billion in assets under management as of 30 June, spread between international/global equity ($71.3 billion), fixed income ($50.7 billion), US equity ($19 billion) and alternative investments ($3 billion).

During five-years with Deutsche Asset Management (DeAM) in Hong Kong, Tan served as head of institutional business for Greater China and South Korea and head of consulting relationships for Asia ex-Japan. Before joining DeAM, he led institutional sales for Hong Kong at Schroders.

At DeAM and Schroders, Tan assembled and developed teams of institutional sales professionals in addition to establishing and cultivating institutional client relationships.

He was also research manager for Asia-Pacific at investment consultant Watson Wyatt in Australia and Hong Kong from 2000 to 2004. Tan supported some of the largest Australian superannuation funds and served as lead consultant for other smaller super funds. He consulted with institutional investors on setting investment objectives, asset-allocation strategies and investment-manager structures.

Other asset managers to have hired senior sales executives in Asia in recent months include UK-based Baring Asset Management, Fidelity, US firm Matthews International Capital Management and Zurich-based Vontobel.