EX-M&G INTERMEDIARIES HEAD TURNS PE FIRM CEO

William Tan

After leaving UK fund house M&G Investments in November, William Tan has joined Singapore-based venture capital and private equity firm Envy Capital as chief executive, according to an update on his LinkedIn profile dated February 11.

On its LinkedIn page, the firm said it was founded in 2019 and focuses on venture capital and private equity. The firm's web page offers no contact details, showing only a message saying: “Our website is coming soon”.

Tan did not respond to AsianInvestor's inquiries sent via LinkedIn. 

He left his previous role as Asia-Pacific head of intermediary channels at M&G in November 2019, said an M&G spokesman. Berny Lin was subsequently appointed on January 10 this year as Asia ex-Japan head of distribution, overseeing institutional and intermediary channels.

Tan had joined M&G in April 2018, and before that held senior sales roles at US fund houses Capital Group and Franklin Templeton Investments.

SSGA NAMES APAC HEAD OF SPDR ETF DISTRIBUTION

State Street Global Advisors has promoted Meaghan Victor to head Asia-Pacific distribution for SPDR ETFs, effective February 13.

The firm, the asset management arm of custodian group State Street Corporation, could not immediately clarify how the business was overseen before Victor's new appointment.

Victor was previously head of SPDR ETFs for Australia and Singapore and retains those duties in addition to now also covering Hong Kong and Japan. She remains in Sydney in her new post and reports to Rory Tobin, head of global SPDR ETF business. 

Tobin said her appointment reflected the growing demand for ETFs in the Asia-Pacific market. 

Victor had joined SSGA, the asset management arm of State Street Corporation, in 2017. Before that she worked at Australia’s BT Financial Group.

AXA IM MAKES INVESTMENT AND SALES HIRES

Axa Investment Managers has made several senior appointments across its investment and sales teams.

The firm has named Natalia Mu as investment specialist following the launch of its All China Equities strategy. Based in Hong Kong, she joined in November from Mirae Asset Global Investments, where she was a client portfolio manager.

For the time being Mu reports to Marion Le Morhedec, former global head of product specialists and now head of active fixed income for Europe and Asia. Le Morhedec’s successor on the product specialists team is due to be appointed soon.  

Axa IM has also appointed Marilyn Wang as a director of private bank coverage in Singapore, reporting to Terence Lam, Asia head of sales and marketing. She joined in November from rival fund house Columbia Threadneedle, where she had held a similar role. Wang is a replacement hire, but Axa IM did not identify her predecessor.

Wang’s arrival follows that of Ronald Liu in February last year as Hong Kong-based director of private banks for Asia, covering both Hong Kong and Singapore. Based in Hong Kong, Liu looks after Hong Kong and Singapore, also reporting to Lam. Before Liu's arrival, Lam and other members of the team had looked after private bank coverage in Hong Kong.

Liu had joined from US fund house Legg Mason, where he was vice president for business development. A Legg Mason spokeswoman said Liu had been replaced by Marco Chong in April last year.

JLL NAMES NEW HOTELS HEAD IN JAPAN

Takahiro Tsujikawa

Real estate broker JLL has appointed Takahiro Tsujikawa as head of hotels and hospitality for Japan, with effect from April 1.

Having joined on February 1 as a managing director, Tsujikawa will succeed Tomohiko Sawayanagi, who will step into the role of senior director after leading the team for 20 years. This is a consultancy type role that was created for Sawayanagi as he slowly transitions out of JLL.

Tsujikawa will work closely with Nihat Ercan, Asia head of investment sales, and Xander Nijnens, Asia head of hotels and hospitality advisory, to cover clients, including institutional investors, in Japan and wider Asia.

Prior to joining JLL, Tsujikawa was until late January head of acquisitions for Japan Hotel Reit Advisors, which could not be reached for comment.

Prior to that he worked for firms including Ken Corporation, daVinci Advisors, Panorama and PAG Investment Management Limited Hospitality. 

INTERTRUST OPENS NZ OFFICE

Dutch fund and corporate services provider Intertrust has opened a new office in Auckland, New Zealand and named David Ritchie as country director.

Ritchie was most recently an adviser in the venture capital space before taking up the role, according to his LinkedIn page. He 15 years’ experience working in investment banking, corporate strategy and M&A in London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, said Intertrust in a release.

The new office follows the growing trend of active fund investments in New Zealand, said the firm, without elaborating further.

BANK OF SINGAPORE APPOINTS NORTH ASIA HEAD OF WEALTH PLANNING 

Joanna Ho

Joanna Ho joined Bank of Singapore from HSBC Private Bank as head of wealth planning for Greater China and North Asia on January 30.

Based in Hong Kong, Ho was most recently head of wealth planning in Asia Pacific for private wealth solutions at HSBC. The UK bank did not respond to queries as to when she left or whether she had been replaced.

At Bank of Singapore, Ho's key responsibilities were previously covered by Tariq Saleim, Singapore-based global head of lending products, credit structuring and wealth planning, a spokesman said.

Ho now reports to Saleim and to Angel Wu, Hong Kong head of product management.

STANCHART PB APPOINTS HEAD OF LIFE INSURANCE 

Standard Chartered Private Bank has appointed Sachin Bhambani as group head of life insurance, effective February 1 and reporting to Gautam Duggal, Singapore-based global head for bancassurance, trust and wealth planning. 

Sachin Bhambani

Previously group head of non-life insurance business, Bhambani replaced Samrat Khosla, who relocated from Singapore to Mumbai to succeed Nitin Singh as StanChart's India head of wealth management as of February 1.

Singh has been appointed chief executive of Mumbai-based Avendus Wealth Management, effective February 3. He reports to Kaushal Aggarwal and Gaurav Deepak, co-founders and managing directors of Avendus Capital, the parent of Avendus Wealth.

Nitin Singh

Avendus could not be reached for comment.

MPFA DISQUALIFIES INTERMEDIARY

Hong Kong's Mandatory Provident Fund Authority has disqualified Liu Wing-kit as a MPF intermediary for 10 months from February 11 to December 10.

The MPFA found that when Liu invited an MPF scheme member to transfer their benefits among schemes in March last year, he had contravened the conduct requirements of acting honestly, fairly and in the best interests of his client.

HKEX APPOINTS HEAD OF POST TRADE

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEx) has appointed Glenda So as head of post trade. She will join on February 25 and report to chief executive Charles Li and chief operating officer Calvin Tai. 

So replaced Roland Chai, who will take up the Stockholm-based role of chief risk officer at US exchange group Nasdaq in June ths year.

She was previously Hong Kong-based head of operations for Asia Pacific at Allianz Global Investors, a role she left on February 7. Allianz GI declined to comment on whether it was seeking a replacement.

Meanwhile, John Killian, formerly group chief financial officer, was appointed group risk officer on February 5, and continues to report to Li. 

Killian replaces Bipin Patel, who will become a strategic risk adviser to HKEx and report to Li. Vanessa Lau has been promoted to group CFO from Hong Kong CFO.