Prudential funds arm lures institutional head from AMP

Prudential Corporation’s funds arm has poached Dean Winterton from Australian firm AMP Capital as its new Asia head of institutional business. Starting in Singapore in September, he replaces Paul Hancock.

Hancock will move to London to establish the fund manager’s first dedicated institutional sales presence in Europe and the UK. But he and his China-focused team will retain responsibility for their relationships in that market.

Hancock has been regional head of institutional at Prudential’s funds arm in Hong Kong for three years. Before joining Prudential in 2005, he was group director of business development at HSBC in New York, where he managed the US bancassurance business.

In his new role, Winterton will report to Graham Mason, chief executive of Prudential Corporation’s Asian funds unit, who has previously outlined plans to grow both the institutional and offshore businesses.

Winterton is currently managing director for Southeast Asia and the Middle East at AMP in Singapore, where his last day will be in early August. He has spent eight years with the company in several different roles, including as head of the institutional business in Australia. He formerly worked with BT Funds Management and KPMG.

AMP has started a search for a permanent replacement. In the interim, Jacqui Sullivan, managing director of international distribution, will look after sales for Southeast Asia and Richard Shields, managing director for the UK and Europe, will handle the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Meanwhile, other management changes are taking place at AMP.

The firm has appointed Jonathan Reoch and Ragavan (Ragu) Sivanesarajah as acting co-heads of Asian equities while it seeks a replacement for incumbent Karma Wilson, who is leaving after five years with AMP to move overseas with her family. The team manages the listed Capital China Growth Fund, with net assets of $330 million, which are mainly invested in A-shares.

In addition, Ella Brown will start in late July in the newly created role of head of fundamental equities, overseeing the Asian, capital, sustainable and New Zealand equities teams. Based in Sydney, she will report to chief investment officer David Kiddie.

Brown was previously a non-executive investment adviser to both the Royal College of Physicians and Royal Medical Foundation in London. She was also global head of equity research at ABN Amro Asset Management in London from 2006 to 2008 and before that head of European equity research at Credit Suisse Asset Management.