Weekly roundup of people news, Dec 11
HK HOSPITAL AUTHORITY PENSION NAMES NEW CHAIRMAN
Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority Provident Fund Scheme (HAPFS), the largest private pension plan in the city, has appointed Philip Tsai as chairman. His appointment began on November 19, a spokesman from the Authority told AsianInvestor.
Tsai recently retired as the China chairman for consultancy Deloitte. He succeeds Kam Pok-man, who left HAPFS earlier this year.
The pension fund supervises HK$68.2 billion ($8.74 billion) of retirement assets for Hong Kong’s government hospital and medical institution staff, and Tsai was appointed to its board on July 23.
Deloitte did not respond to emailed questions on Tsai’s replacement.
LASALLE IM NAMES NEW GLOBAL CEO AND CO-CIOS FOR ASIA PACIFIC
LaSalle Investment Management has named a new Asia Pacific chief executive and chief investment officers (CIOs) in a management shuffle.
Mark Gabbay, currently CEO and CIO for Asia Pacific, has been promoted to global chief executive officer with effect from January 1. He will remain in Hong Kong in the new role.
Keith Fujii, currently Japan CEO, will succeed Gabbay and retain oversight of Japan.
Claire Tang, Shanghai-based head of Greater China, and Kunihiko (Nick) Okumura, head of Japan acquisitions in Tokyo, will become co-CIOs of Asia Pacific.
Tang and Okumura will retain their current roles and will report to Fujii, who in turn will report to Gabbay, the spokesman said.
Gabbay will now report to Germany-based Christian Ulbrich, president and CEO of JLL, LaSalle IM's parent company. He will replace Jeff Jacobson, who after 14 years as global CEO and chairman will stay on in the latter role until at least June 2021 to ensure a smooth transition.
Gabbay joined LaSalle in 2010 as CIO for Asia Pacific, and became regional CEO as well in 2015. Previously, he was head of the the asset finance division at Nomura and co-head of Asia Pacific global real estate at Lehman Brothers.
Fujii joined LaSalle IM in 2018, before which was CEO of Ishin Hotels Group. He had also held senior positions at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Grove International Partners, Shinsei Bank and Lehman Brothers.
Tang joined LaSalle IM in 2007 and had previously held investment roles at JLL in Shanghai and General Electric in the US.
Okumura joined LaSalle IM in 2011, before which he was principal at Westbrook Partners and senior vice president of the global real estate group at Lehman Brothers.
AMUNDI APPOINTS NEW CHINA HEAD
French fund house Amundi has hired Clare Zhao from rival Vanguard as head of its China business, and named Zhong Xiaofeng as chairman of Greater China, who also retains his previous role as chief executive for North Asia.
Beijing-based Zhao reports to Zhong, who will coordinate all the firm's activities in Greater China.
An Amundi spokeswoman told AsianInvestor that both roles had been newly created.
However, Amundi has had individuals overseeing the China business in the past. Michelle Liu had been Hong Kong-based head of China before leaving in February 2018. She now works for Lazard Asset Management in Hong Kong, according to her LinkedIn page and regulatory records.
Zhao takes on an expanded remit at Amundi compared to Liu's, as she heads the wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE) and qualified domestic limited partnership (QDLP) teams in Beijing.
The firm did not clarify who had overseen Amundi's China business since Liu departed. Zhang Xiaosong has been head of institutional business for China since June 2018, according to his LinkedIn page.
Zhao joined Amundi on October 5, before which she had been head of distribution for China and Hong Kong at Vanguard, where she had worked since 2012. The firm did not reply to emailed questions about her replacement.
Vanguard closed its Hong Kong and Japan offices this year and is transferring its regional headquarters to Shanghai, after shutting its Singapore branch in 2018.
Zhao has also worked at Value Partners, BNP Paribas and Societe Generale.
Zhong had joined Amundi in November 2011 as deputy CEO for sales and marketing for Hong Kong and was appointed North Asia CEO in September 2012. He will report to Bernard de Wit, deputy CEO of Amundi, and Vincent Mortier, group deputy CIO and Asia ex-Japan superviser, both based in Paris.
This story has been updated to show which individuals had overseen Amundi's China business in the past and that the firm did not clarify who had done so since February 2018.
AMP CAPITAL ELIMINATES ASIA PACIFIC MD ROLE
Craig Keary, AMP Capital’s managing director for Asia Pacific, left on December 4 after nine years with the Australian investment management firm.
AMP Capital does not have plans for a replacement as his role is no longer required, a spokeswoman told AsianInvestor. He had been based in Tokyo for two years but had recently returned to Sydney, the spokeswoman said.
His departure comes after AMP Limited repurchased Japan-based Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation’s 15% stake in AMP Capital in August.
AMP Capital did not respond to further emailed questions on Keary's departure.
ASSET MANAGEMENT ONE INTERNATIONAL REPLACES CIO
Asset Management One International (AMOI), the London-based subsidiary of Japan’s second-largest asset manager that overseas Europe, the Middle East and Africa, has appointed Gianni Casella as chief investment officer, effective December 1.
Casella replaces Eiichi Watatani, who is returning to Tokyo after five years in London, the company said in a statement.
Casella was most recently head of fixed income at AMOI and has been with Japan's Mizuho Financial Group, which owns 51% of Asset Management One, for 25 years. He started his career as a fixed income sales executive at Mizuho International. AMOI did not respond to emailed qestions from AsianInvestor.
HSBC GLOBAL AM NAMES SENIOR PM FOR ASIA INFRA DEBT
HSBC Global Asset Management has appointed Alexandre Broggi as senior portfolio manager for Asia infrastructure debt investments, effective January 4.
He replaces Fredric Thomas, who left HSBC Global AM in August, a company spokeswoman said.
Broggi is currently director for infrastructure finance in HSBC's Global banking and markets division. The spokeswoman declined to comment on who would succeed him.
Broggi will report to Glenn Fox, London-based global head of infrastructure debt investments in the new role.
ROBECO NAMES HEAD OF WHOLESALE FOR ASIA EX-JAPAN
Dutch fund house Robeco has promoted Dawn Foo to head of wholesale distribution for Asia ex-Japan from director of Singapore and Southeast Asia wholesale.
Foo remains in Singapore for the role on November 18. She reports to Javier Garcia de Vinuesa, Madrid-based head of wholesale and global financial institutions for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
There is no immediate replacement for this position but Robeco will continue to build out the team in both Singapore and Hong Kong under the leadership of Foo. She will continue to look after Southeast Asia in her new capacity, a company spokeswoman said.
She replaces Tom Keenan, who left Robeco on November 18 to return to his native Australia. He has joined MLC Asset Management as head of retail distribution in Sydney, according to his LinkedIn profile.
BNY MELLON IM NAMES NEW AUSTRALIA HEAD
BNY Mellon Investment Management has appointed Paul Bolinowsky as head of Australia and will provide overall strategic direction for the region.
He joined the firm in Sydney on December 7 to replace Phil Filippelis, who left the company in March, a spokeswoman told AsianInvestor.
Bolinowsky joined BNY IM from asset manager Glennon Capital, where he was chief executive. Glennon did not response to emailed questions.
Prior to that, he was head of institutional sales for Australia at UBS Asset Management. He has also worked for Pioneer Investments and Alliance Bernstein in Australia.
JLL ANNOUNCES NEW MD FOR EAST CHINA
Property services firm JLL has appointed Anny Zhang to succeed Eddie Ng as managing director for East China from January 1.
In the new role, Shanghai-based Zhang will retain her current responsibility as head of office leasing for China. She reports to Hong Kong-based KK Fung, Greater China chief executive, a spokeswoman told AsianInvestor.
Zhang has been in her current role since 2019, having joined JLL in April 2007.
Ng has decided to pursue other opportunities after 25 years with the firm. He had joined JLL in Hong Kong in 1996 and has been managing director for east China since 2016.
SHENNING INVESTMENTS NAMES MD FOR FAMILY OFFICE BUSINESS
Singapore-based asset manager Shenning Investments has appointed Kimmis Pun as managing director for its family office investment team as of December 1, a spokeswoman told AsianInvestor.
Pun had previously been head of Greater China at EFG Bank, a role she left in December, said a spokeswoman. EFG is seeking a replacement.
Pun has also worked for HSBC Private Bank, UBS and Standard Chartered Private Bank.
GAM HIRES SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT HEAD
Swiss fund manager GAM Investments has hired Matt Williams as head of equity investment specialists and Stephanie Maier as global head of sustainable and impact investment, both newly created roles.
Mark Harland, head of governance and responsible investment, had overseen the duties that will be taken up by Maier on January 4. She will report to group chief executive Peter Sanderson, who is also based in London.
Maier was most recently based in London as a director for responsible investment at HSBC Global Asset Management, which said her duties would be covered by other members of the team. Prior to that, Maier spent seven years at Aviva Investors, latterly as head of responsible investment strategy and research.