Peter Hames to leave Aberdeen Asset Management

Jan 12, 2010

The veteran fund manager and co-founder of Aberdeen's Singapore office will step down as head of Asian equities to return to Europe later this year.

Peter Hames, Aberdeen Asset Management's head of Asian equities in Singapore, will leave the firm in the autumn to return to Europe and spend more time with his family.

Having joined the UK asset manager in 1990 as a European investment manager, he transferred to the Asian equity desk in 1992, co-founding the Singapore office with Hugh Young, Asia managing director in Singapore.

Aberdeen will divide Hames' duties among its senior managers. "We have a lot of experienced people running the funds," he tells AsianInvestor. "We've built up a very strong and well resourced team in the region." The firm tends not to hire externally, he adds.

Hames oversees a team of nine on Asian ex-Japan equities, with a further 14 investment managers who provide local market input and running specialist country portfolios from offices across the region.

He will settle in Guernsey, one of the English Channel Islands. "There are some other things I want to get on with for the time being, of personal interest," says Hames.

Aberdeen says in a statement: "With a young, growing family, Peter feels he has enjoyed the best of Asia and that it is time to go back to Europe. Peter's departure plans include a good lead time to allow a smooth handover."

Before joining Aberdeen, Hames worked for the Guinness family as an investment manager specialising in overseas investment and prior to that for National Westminster Bank.