COLUMBIA THREADNEEDLE NAMES NEW SINGAPORE CEO
Columbia Threadneedle has given Sandra Cheng, head of institutional for Southeast Asia, two additional roles.
She is now also Singapore chief executive and deputy head of product development for Asia Pacific, focusing on institutional business and solutions, effective July 1.
Cheng continues to report to Jon Allen, Asia-Pacific head of institutional and product development.
Michael Langlois, was previously Singapore CEO and Asia-Pacific head of wholesale distribution before he retired from the firm on July 1, as reported.
Dennis Quah, previously head of wholesale distribution for Southeast Asia, now also oversees Hong Kong wholesale distribution.
JANUS HENDERSON RELOCATES ASIA COO AMID SENIOR EXITS
Janus Henderson Investors, the newly merged entity of Janus Capital and Henderson Global Investors, has relocated its pan-Asia chief operating officer, Sophia Rahmani, to Singapore from Sydney, AsianInvestor can reveal.
A spokesman for the firm told AsianInvestor: “The merger of Janus and Henderson resulted in a significantly expanded business, hence this was an opportune time for Sophia to move to Singapore to assist in bringing the teams together, whilst continuing her existing responsibilities across the region.”
Rahmani's move came in May alongside other senior staff moves in the region.
Gigi Chan, head of China at Janus Henderson, will leave the company on July 31 to pursue other interests, said the spokesman. She was previously Asia-Pacific head and COO at Janus Capital before the merger, which was announced in October.
Meanwhile, Augustus Cheh, former Hong Kong-based president of international business at Janus Capital, left the firm on May 30.
CHRIS FADDY JOINS AURA GROUP
Australian financial services firm Aura Group hired Chris Faddy as director of distribution in Sydney, covering corporate advisory, asset management and financial planning.
He joined on June 5 from Vantage Point Asset Management, a Sydney-based boutique specialising in multi-asset solutions, where he was head of distribution and client relations. Vantage Point could not be reached for comment by press time.
Faddy has also run Asia distribution for BNY Mellon, Credit Suisse Asset Management and Barclays Capital Fund Services.
Aura Group is based in Sydney and also has offices in Melbourne, Singapore and Bangkok.
HAMILTON LANE OPENS IN AUSTRALIA
Alternative investment giant Hamilton Lane has opened an office in Sydney and named James Martin to head it and lead the firm’s efforts to expand in Australia and New Zealand.
He joined as a principal last month from private markets investor Partners Group to lead business development efforts across Australia and New Zealand.
"We have been active in the region for several years, and have now gotten to a point where it makes sense to have a presence on the ground,” a spokesperson told AsianInvestor.
With the opening of the Sydney office, Hamilton Lane has four offices in the region, including Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul.
Martin was previously vice president of investment solutions at Partners Group, where he focused on institutional sales and deal origination. Partners Group did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
Martin has also previously worked with Pinnacle Investment Management and the Macquarie Group.
CREDIT SUISSE APPOINTS HK DPM HEAD
Credit Suisse has appointed Jacqueline Koo as head of investment management for Hong Kong, to oversee the team running discretionary portfolio mandates.
She took up the role on June 26 and reports to Warren Hastings, head of investment management for Asia Pacific.
Koo replaces James Leung, Hong Kong head of multi-asset solutions, who left Credit Suisse in June, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Koo was previously head of discretionary portfolio management for Asia and the Middle East at ABN Amro Private Banking, which sold its Asian business to LGT Bank earlier this year.
She has also served as North Asia head of portfolio management at Julius Baer and Asia head of investment management at LGT.
CREDITEASE WM OBTAINS ADVISORY LICENCE IN US
Chinese wealth manager and peer-to-peer lender CreditEase won approval in April from the US Securities and Exchange Commission to advise investors based in the US.
Bejing-based CreditEase opened an office in New York in May last year, which focuses on offering funds of funds with global allocations. It also has offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Israel, which opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively.
VANGUARD NAMES NEW CEO
Vanguard has appointed chief investment officer Tim Buckley as president and director and said he would succeed Bill McNabb as chief executive on January 1, 2018.
Buckley, who joined Vanguard in 2001 and has served as CIO since 2013, will become the firm’s fourth CEO since it was founded in 1975.
Greg Davis, global head of fixed income, takes up the position of CIO.
John Hollyer, head of investment risk management, will become the new global head of the fixed income group. Vanguard did not confirm by press time who would replace Hollyer.
BNY MELLON NAMES NEW CEO
BNY Mellon has appointed Charles Scharf as chief executive, effective July 17. He will also become chairman of the board on January 1, 2018.
Scharf is succeeding former CEO and chairman Gerald Hassell, who will retire at the year end and will continue to serve as chairman until then.
Scharf was most recently CEO of payment technology company Visa until December 2016. He has also worked at JP Morgan Chase, Bank One Corp and Citigroup.
Other people news reported on AsianInvestor in the past week:
PineBridge builds out Greater China equity team
NPS CIO’s resignation sparks speculation
State funds boost foreign teams in race for assets
