Weekly roundup of people news, Nov 10
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AMUNDI HIRES EDDY WONG AS ASIA CEO
Amundi appointed Eddy Wong as chief executive officer Asia, starting November 6.
He also becomes a member of Amundi’s executive committee.
In the newly created role, Wong will be based in Hong Kong and lead Amundi’s operations in North and South Asia as well as its joint ventures in mainland China.
Following the departure of Amundi Hong Kong CEO Kerry Ching on Oct 31, Wong will assume the role of Hong Kong CEO while being Asia CEO, the firm told AsianInvestor.
AsianInvestor reported Ching’s departure on November 3.
Prior to joining Amundi, Wong spent 18 years at JP Morgan Asset Management, holding leadership roles across Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China.
He was most recently Asia Pacific head of institutional business, based in Hong Kong.
JP Morgan Asset Management declined to comment on who will succeed Wong in his former role.
In another development, Zhong Xiaofeng, chairman of Greater China, was promoted to vice chairman of Asia. He continues to be based in Hong Kong.
Both Wong and Zhong will report to Fannie Wurtz, head of the distribution and wealth division, passive business lines, and chairman of Amundi in Asia, the firm told AsianInvestor.
Zhong joined Amundi Hong Kong in 2011.
He previously also worked at Crédit Agricole.
HSBC AM NAMES SOUTHEAST ASIA AND SINGAPORE CEO
HSBC Asset Management appointed Lim Pang Qi as CEO of Southeast Asia and Singapore, effective November 14, subject to regulatory approval.
Lim will also assume the role of head of strategic partnerships Southeast Asia.
He succeeds Patrice Conxicoeur, CEO and head of Southeast Asia, who has decided to pursue new opportunities outside of HSBC after 15 years with the firm in leadership roles across Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan.
Lim joins HSBC from Fidelity International where he most recently led the business development for client solutions and services business in Asia Pacific.
Based in Singapore, Lim will report to Daisy Ho, CEO Asia Pacific and Hong Kong, HSBC Asset Management, and to Ashmita Acharya, head of wealth and personal banking Singapore, HSBC.
Lim will lead the delivery of HSBC Asset Management's strategic growth in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
AsianInvestor was unable to ascertain whether Fidelity International has appointed a replacement for Lim as of publication.
AVANDA IM APPOINTS CIO
Avanda Investment Management appointed Wee Ai Ning as chief investment officer, the company said in a LinkedIn post.
She was previously CIO at AIA Investment Management, where she was responsible for investments in public and private market asset classes globally.
She has also worked in strategic roles at GIC, Tudor Capital and Great Eastern Assurance.
AsianInvestor was unable to ascertain who was in Wee’s role previously.
Avanda Investment Management was founded Ng Kok Song, Quah Wee Ghee and Sung Cheng Chih, all of whom are former GIC executives. Ng remains on the leadership team at Avanda IM.
Avanda and AIA did not respond to AsianInvestor queries for more details at the time of publication.
GIC ADDS BOARD MEMBER
Jeanette Wong joined the GIC board on November 8, which is in addition to her current role on the GIC risk committee.
Wong has been a member of the GIC risk committee since 2021.
Before her retirement in March 2019, Wong was group executive at DBS Bank responsible for the institutional banking group.
She has also worked at JP Morgan, Citibank and Banque Paribas.
BARINGS APPOINTS NEW KOREA HEAD
Barings appointed John Park as head of Korea and sole representative director of Baring Asset Management Korea, effective January 1, 2024.
Park is currently co-representative director of Barings Korea.
Ike Bae, the other co-representative director of Barings Korea, will retire from Barings Korea in December after 12 years of service.
Park joined Barings Korea, formerly SEI Asset Korea, in 2000 and was promoted to chief investment officer in July 2008.
Barings also appointed Kim Hong and Sam Kim as co-heads of sales for Barings Korea, assuming expanded responsibilities. Kim and Kim previously managed the institutional business in Korea.
PRUDENTIAL’S FORMER ESG DIRECTOR JOINS OLIVER WYMAN
Kerry Adams-Strump has joined Oliver Wyman’s insurance and asset management team in London.
She will specialise in helping life insurance, wealth, and asset management organisations transform and grow their businesses, with a strategic focus on climate and sustainability.
She was previously director of group ESG at Prudential, where she was responsible for the ownership, delivery, and embedding of the group's ESG strategy.
She led the process to set their net zero commitment, interim carbon reduction target, and coal policy.
She has participated as a speaker in AsianInvestor insurance-focused events previously.
Diana Guzman succeeded Kerry Adams-Strump at Prudential. She is based in Singapore and reports to Ben Bulmer, chief financial officer, Prudential plc.
This news brief has been updated in the the last line (on Guzman's reporting line).
REST NAMES NEW GLOBAL EQUITIES LEAD
Australian industry superannuation fund Rest has named Richard Mercado as the leader of its newly created global equities division.
His primary responsibility involves building an in-house global equity management capability that aligns with Rest's internal investment strategy.
Mercado will report to Kiran Singh, Rest's head of listed assets, and his operations will be based in Sydney.
Previously, Mercado was part of Comgest, a Paris-based asset management company, where he worked as a partner and managed high-conviction portfolios with a focus on global equities.
He has also worked at USS Investment Management, the UK's largest pension fund, as well as at F&C Investments, Capital Partners and AMP Capital Investors.
FIRST SENTIER INVESTORS APPOINTS NEW COO
First Sentier Investors has hired Amanda Gazal as chief operating officer (COO).
Gazal, who will officially step into the role in February 2024, will be based in Sydney. She will collaborate with First Sentier Investors' executive leadership to develop and execute operational strategies aligned with the company's vision and goals.
She succeeds Gary Cotton who, aside from being regional managing director of EMEA, was acting as interim COO.
Gazal was most recently at Perpetual, where she was COO from 2020.
She was also previously COO for Asia Pacific distribution and Singapore COO at DWS.
CLIFFORD APPOINTS NEW CFO
Singapore-based Clifford Capital Holdings, a financing and distribution platform for real assets across the debt capital structure, appointed Herman Wijaya as new group chief financial officer, effective early December.
Wijaya replaces Adrian Teng, who is leaving Clifford at the end of the year.
Wijaya will report to Murli Maiya, group CEO of Clifford Capital.
Wijaya joins Clifford from United Overseas Bank (UOB) where he was head of financial strategy.
UOB declined to comment on AsianInvestor's enquiries about when Wijaya left the firm and who be taking over his role.
Prior to UOB, he worked at Standard Chartered Bank.