FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL NAMES ASIA HEAD OF AM
Fidelity International has named Paras Anand, formerly head of pan-European equities, to a newly created role of head of asset management for Asia Pacific.
He moved from London to Hong Kong to take up the post in September, confirmed a Fidelity spokeswoman.
Fidelity International, the Bermuda-based sister fund house to US-based Fidelity Investments, had not publicised Anand’s appointment at the time.
It had felt an equivalent position was needed in Asia to complement that of Bart Grenier, who is global head of asset management, based in London, said the spokeswoman.
Romain Boscher, chief investment officer for equities, has taken on Anand's former responsibilities.
Among other things, Anand is now responsible for determining regional priorities and representing the function to external bodies such as regulators and policymakers, according to a statement by Fidelity.
In addition, he became a responsible officer for the firm in Hong Kong in January, according to regulatory records.
Anand joined Fidelity in 2012 as Europe CIO for equities, before which he had worked at financial firms including HSBC, Deutsche Bank and F&C Asset Management.
UOB HIRES ERNEST LOW FROM AXA
Ernest Low has joined Singaporean bank UOB as a senior vice president of funds due diligence from Axa Singapore, where he was deputy director of investment and wealth management. He remains in the lion city for the new position.
A UOB spokeswoman declined to comment on when he started or whether anyone had held his role previously.
Low’s last day at Axa was March 1, said a spokeswoman for the French insurer, where he had overseen due diligence and onboarding of new funds for the investment-linked product business.
Low’s former duties will be assumed by Pierre-Emmanuel Brard, Axa’s Singapore chief investment officer, she added.
KKR HIRES GOLDMAN SACHS EXEC
KKR has hired veteran investment banker Kate Richdale in a newly created role as head of strategy and business development in Asia Pacific. She is expected to join in the second quarter of this year, AsianInvestor understands.
Richdale will join the alternatives investment firm from Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong, where she is chairman of investment banking in Asia ex-Japan. Goldman Sachs did not respond to AsianInvestor queries on when Richdale is leaving or if a replacement has been announced.
AsianInvestor understands that in the past, members of KKR’s broader Asia team have all had responsibilities in strategy and business development. But with Asia a priority region for KKR, the organisation has decided to create a senior role to ensure it can build up its various businesses in a more focused manner.
Richdale will work with KKR’s Asia investing businesses to assist in advancing the deal origination pipeline and engage with the firm’s key client relationships across the region at a strategic level.
Over the past year, the private equity house has hired two additional members, John Pattar and David Luboff, to head its real estate and infrastructure investing platforms, respectively. In addition, Brian Dillard relocated from KKR’s New York office to Hong Kong to lead the firm’s credit business.
MAS REJIGS SENIOR MANAGEMENT
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has announced a series of changes in its senior management line-up.
Jacqueline Loh, currently deputy managing director (monetary policy and investment/development and international/fintech and innovation), will be re-designated deputy managing director (markets and development), effective May 1. She will continue to oversee the markets and investment, development and international as well as fintech and innovation groups.
Edward Robinson, currently assistant managing director (economic policy), will become deputy managing director (economic policy), also from May 1. He retains his current role as chief economist and will have responsibility for macroprudential surveillance. His position will not be filled, a MAS spokeswoman told AsianInvestor.
Bernard Wee, currently an executive director (prudential policy), will be appointed as assistant managing director (finance, risk and currency) from April 1. He will take over from Low Kwok Mun, who is being seconded to the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC) as its chief executive from April 1.
Kenneth Gay, currently division head for international finance at the international department, will take over Wee's former role, the spokeswoman said.
Benny Chey, currently executive director (reserve management), will become an assistant managing director (development and international) with effect from April 1. He takes over from Ng Yao Loong, assistant managing director (development and international), who is leaving MAS.
Kee Rui Xiong, currently lead portfolio manager, will take over from Chey, the MAS spokeswoman added.
*This story has been updated with reponses from MAS.
AMP CAPITAL NAMES MULTI-ASSET CIO
Australia-headquartered AMP Capital has appointed Debbie Alliston as the chief investment officer for its multi-asset group.
The appointment took effect on March 7. She reports to Simon Warner, global head of public markets. Both of them are based in Sydney.
Alliston replaces Sean Heneghan, who is set to go on a 15-month sabbatical.
Alliston was previously AMP Capital’s head of multi-asset portfolio management. There will be no direct replacement for the role, but Darren Beesley, a senior portfolio manager, will take on additional responsibilities within the team after Alliston moves, a company spokeswoman told AsianInvestor.
AMP Capital had 27 investment specialists managing A$62 billion ($43 billion) in multi-asset funds at the end of December 2018.
ESR HIRES CAPITAL & INVESTMENT DIRECTOR IN SINGAPORE
Thijs Hupkes has joined logistics real estate investment platform ESR in Singapore as director for capital and investments, effective February 20. Hupkes' position is newly created and aimed at strengthening the team, a spokeswoman for ESR told AsianInvestor.
He reports to Josh Daitch, senior managing director for capital and investments, also based in Singapore.
Hupkes joins from Aviva Investors, where he was a director for real estate client solutions in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Hupkes left Aviva in December 2018, a spokeswoman for the asset manager told AsianInvestor.
His role will not be replaced as the fund house sold its indirect real estate business to LaSalle Investment Management last year, she added.
AXA XL SINGAPORE EXEC TAKES ON EXPANDED ROLE
French insurer Axa has appointed several new members to its executive committee in Singapore. Among them is Kevin Leong, who has been named managing director for commercial lines, in addition to his current responsibilities as the country leader for Singapore – insurance for Axa XL, a division of Axa group, the firm said in a media release.
In his new role, Leong will co-report to Jean Drouffe, CEO, Axa Singapore, and Craig Langham, Asia Pacific chief executive for Axa XL.
This appointment follows Axa’s recent acquisition of US-based property & casualty specialist XL Group and the subsequent creation of the Axa XL division.
RAFFLES FAMILY OFFICE NAMES MD
Raffles Family Office has hired Cameron Harvey as Hong Kong-based managing director.
He joined the family office on January 28 and reports to chief executive Chiman Kwan. This is a newly created role to handle relationship management responsibilities, a company spokesman said.
Before he joined Raffles, Harvey is understood to have been a relationship manager at BNP Paribas Wealth Management, a position he left in November. BNP Paribas declined to comment on his departure.
NATIXIS APPOINTS APAC HEAD FOR PB, FAMILY OFFICES
French investment firm Natixis has appointed Charles Picard as head of private bank and family office coverage for Asia Pacific under its corporate and investment banking (CIB) division, effective March 4.
In this newly created role to expand Natixis’ business relationships with private banks and family offices in the Asia Pacific, he reports to Damien Cleris, Natixis's Hong Kong-based head of coverage and co-head of investment banking, a spokesman told AsianInvestor.
Picard will also continue in his existing role as executive director of strategic equity transactions for Southeast Asia.
In that capacity, he continues to report to Pin Chua, senior country manager with the Singapore office and head of Southeast Asia and South Asia, as well as Stephan Verhelst, head of strategic equity transactions for Asia Pacific.
Picard is based in Singapore.
Prior to joining Natixis in September 2017, Picard worked at BNP Paribas, taking on various roles in the equity derivatives and wealth management divisions.
