Weekly roundup of people news, Dec 20
BNPP IP poaches Harvest executive
BNP Paribas Investment Partners has hired Pieter Oyens in Hong Kong to run the 10-strong Asia-Pacific investment specialists team.
Oyens was previously a managing director in business development at Harvest Global Investments, the Hong Kong-based arm of China's Harvest Fund Management.
He joined on December 9 to replace Simon Godfrey, who left BNPP IP to co-found Arris Partners, a consultancy to the asset management industry, according to his LinkedIn profile. He had joined BNPP IP in 2005.
Oyens' appointment comes as the fund house has restructured its sales team in Asia Pacific. It has ditched a traditional dual institutional and distribution/retail approach for one that focuses on three segments: official institutions; private banks and family offices; and insurance companies and endowments.
Harvest Global did not respond by press time to queries as to whether Oyens will be or has been replaced.
AMP Capital reshuffles as CIO relocates
Australian fund house AMP Capital is undergoing a reshuffle as its chief investment officer plans to move from Sydney to London next year.
David Kiddie, CIO and head of the multi-asset group and specialised investment teams since 2009, will move back to the UK to join his family in six months’ time.
His responsibilities will be split into two at the start of the year. Sean Henaghan, an investment director, will become head of the multi-asset group, and Mark Beardow, head of fixed income, will run the specialist investment teams. They will also act as co-CIOs, with promotions to be effective from January 1.
AMP Capital’s CEO, Stephen Dunne, is discussing with Kiddie how the latter can continue his involvement with the firm from the UK.
The group aims to find a new head of fixed income and has a number of internal candidates in mind. Until it finds a replacement, Beardow will continue to oversee the fixed income division.
AMP doesn’t plan to replace Henaghan.
Standard Life establishes Asia advisory board
Standard Life has formed an Asia advisory board, comprising both internal and external members.
Chairman Gerry Grimstone will oversee the board and advise the firm’s businesses in Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as its joint ventures, HDFC Life and HDFC Asset Management in India and Heng An Standard Life in China.
Standard Life has been expanding in Asia recently, both on the asset management and insurance side, having opened an office in Singapore last year and in Dubai this year.
Other internal board members include David Nish, chief executive of Standard Life, and Keith Skeoch, Hong Kong CEO of Standard Life Investments.
External members include Gaby Abdelnour, an adviser to private equity firm Bain Capital Asia and former chairman and CEO for Asia Pacific at JP Morgan, and Amanda Lu, a board member of China National Building Material Corporation and former managing director and vice chairman of Greater China at Deutsche Bank.
Middle East broker opens in Hong Kong
ADS Securities, an Abu Dhabi-based foreign exchange broker, has opened an office in Hong Kong to add to regional presence in Singapore.
The firm hired Desmond Yeo in July to oversee the new branch, which opened on December 17 and plans to add 40 staff across sales and operations by the end of 2014. There are now 10 employees working in Hong Kong providing leveraged FX and bullion trading services to local clients.
Yeo joined from GFT Asia, a currency and derivatives broker in Singapore, where he helped build out its sales and operations teams.
The firm plans to open a fourth office – in London – early next year once it receives approval from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority.
Jones Lang LaSalle sets up another China office
Property services firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) has opened an office in Xi’an and appointed Chiao Sheng appointed as managing director to run it. It marks the company's eleventh branch in mainland China and fourteenth in Greater China.
Sheng has experience of the planning and operation of commercial property projects and is highly recognised in the retail industry, says JLL.
He says: “Our experienced team will provide a full range of professional real estate services to users, investors and developers of real estate in Xi’an, and we are dedicated to the city’s development.”
As the capital city of Shaanxi Province, Xi’an holds an important position in northwest China, connecting the east and west of the country, adds the company.
Other people news reported by AsianInvestor this week: