Weekly roundup of people news, June 30
Other people moves coverage this week: Ontario Teachers’ names new head of APAC
AUSTRALIANSUPER APPOINTS LONDON-BASED DEPUTY CIO
KIC APPOINTS NEW COO, CCO
The Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) has appointed Lee Sang-min chief operating officer (COO) and Suh Ik-ho as chief compliance officer (CCO), for three-year terms effective July 1.
Lee joined the Korean sovereign wealth fund in 2006 and was most recently CCO. He is replacing Chung Ji-wan that ended his three-year term on June 30, a spokesperson told AsianInvestor.
Lee has served in several senior positions at KIC, including head of the investment operations management division, president of the sovereign wealth fund’s Singapore office and head of corporate strategy group.
Prior to joining KIC, Lee worked at various securities and asset management firms including Franklin Templeton and DWS Group.
The newly appointed CCO Suh joined KIC in 2005 and was most recently head of the general and financial affairs group. The spokesperson could not confirm the new head of general and financial affairs group head after Suh’s new appointment.
GIC APPOINTS NEW ASIA PE HEAD
Singapore’s GIC has appointed Hwee Loo Tan as head of private equity Asia, effective June 2023, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Tan has spent 22 years at the sovereign wealth fund, with her most recent role being co-head of global investments, strategy and risk of private equity. GIC did not respond to AsianInvestor’s inquiries about who she replaces as head of private equity Asian and who will handle the responsibilities of Tan’s previous role.
On GIC’s website, Kevin Looi was on June 30 still listed as head of private equity Asia, while Tan was still listed with her old role as co-head of global investments, strategy and risk of private equity.
Besides global and Asia roles at GIC’s Singapore headquarters, she also spent five years in London as senior vice president of Europe fund and co-investments for private equity.
JP MORGAN AM NAMES NEW APAC INSTITUTIONAL HEAD, CHINA CEO
JP Morgan Asset Management (JPMAM) named its China chief executive officer Eddy Wong as Asia Pacific head of institutional business.
Meanwhile, China country head Desiree Wang will succeed Wong as the new CEO of the China unit that just turned wholly-owned in January.
Both appointments came into effect on June 28.
Wong will relocate from Shanghai to Hong Kong in his new regionally focused role, while Wang continues to be based in Shanghai.
Both of them report to Asia Pacific CEO Dan Watkins.
Eddy Wong joined JPMAM in 2005 in Hong Kong. He was the head of Taiwan for two years before heading the China business in 2019.
Desiree Wang has been with the firm since 2008. She became head of China institutional business in 2009 and expanded to China country head in 2014.
In the new role, she will focus on fully integrating the China business and growing the investment solutions for domestic clients.
BLACKROCK APAC HEAD OF PUBLIC POLICY RETIRES
BlackRock’s head of public policy for Asia Pacific Winnie Pun retired in April after nearly 18 years with the firm, a spokesperson confirmed with AsianInvestor.
Pun was also a member of the firm’s executive committee. BlackRock declined to comment on whether there is a successor to Pun.
In June, Pun also stepped down as an advisory committee member of Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) after a two-year term.
Pun has almost 40 years of experience in the financial industry, including 35 years in Hong Kong’s banking and asset management industry. From 2005 to 2016, Pun was BlackRock’s head of Asia ex-Japan institutional business.
Before joining BlackRock, she held senior positions with State Street Global Advisors Asia, Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Exchange Fund, and Amundi.
IMPAX HIRES CO-PORTFOLIO MANAGER FOR ASIA STRATEGIES
London-based sustainability investment manager Impax Asset Management hired Manish Bishnoi as a portfolio manager, based in Hong Kong.
Bishnoi will join Oscar Yang as co-portfolio manager of Impax’s Asian environmental and Asian opportunities strategies from October 2023. He will succeed Kirsteen Morrison, who has been interim co-portfolio manager on both strategies since David Li passed away unexpectedly in October 2022.
In the new role, Bishnoi will report to Yang, who is a senior portfolio manager, the firm told AsianInvestor.
Bishnoi has more than a decade of experience in Asian equities. Before joining Impax, he was with Macquarie Asset Management for over 15 years, where he last served as a portfolio manager on the Asian progress fund.
AUSTRALIAN FAMILY OFFICE MANAGER HIRES FIRST CEO
Australian family office investment manager, Alvia Asset Partners has named Nathan Robertson as its first chief executive. He commenced in the role on June 1.
He will also be responsible for leading the set-up and operations of the firm’s Sydney office, which is expected to open within the next four months as part of its plan to grow its market presence.
HEITMAN MAKES SENIOR HIRE IN JAPAN
Global real estate investment management firm Heitman has hired Akira Nishimura as managing director, client service and marketing and head of institutional sales Japan, effective June 2023.
Based in Tokyo in this newly created role, Nishimura works alongside and reports to Taka Kiura, Managing Director, Asia, a spokesperson told AsianInvestor.
Both Nishimura and Kiura also report to Lewis Ingall, senior managing director who heads Heitman's client service and marketing group, the spokesperson added. Nishimura has also joined the global client service and marketing group.
Prior to joining Heitman, Nishimura was senior managing director in Tokyo, for LaSalle Investment Management. He also led their capital raising activities for global indirect investments and was co-head of investor relations in the Asia Pacific region.
LaSalle Investment Management did not respond to AsianInvestor’s inquiries about when Nishimura left the firm and who took over his responsibilities.
Nishimura previously held senior roles at Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, and Mizuho Financial Group.