Australia

Allianz Real Estate hires Scott Kim from Korea's National Pension Service; NZSuper hires investment strategist from Australian Retirement Trust; Former NPS executive Kim Seongmog joins Affirma as private credit head; Eastspring loses head of intermediary sales; Value Partners hires senior director from Allianz Global Investors; and more.

The Australian superannuation fund expects opportunities for currency trading as a result of the Chinese government rolling out measures to grow the economy.

Horizons Ventures to open family office in Singapore; AustralianSuper expands private equity investments over the next two years; CDPQ real estate arm Ivanhoe Cambridge to invest $1 billion in green digital infrastructure project in India with Bain Capital and Lodha Group; and more.

Experts say the drive for consolidation of smaller super funds into a few mega funds misses a key consideration of the role of superannuation: investor engagement.

Major asset owners, such as APG, NZ Super and AustralianSuper, are looking to invest in data centres in Asia even as the demand for these assets outstrips the current supply.

NPS head of Americas private equity and global hedge funds team leaves after 11 years; AIA hires director of tactical asset allocation from JP Morgan Asset Management; Manulife appoints chief risk officer for Asia; Bruce Tomlinson leaves Australian Retirement Trust; Franklin Templeton makes senior appointments in Malaysia; Eastspring loses three C-suites; and more.

Concerns remain on whether interest rate hikes by the Fed will be able to slow economic activity and tame inflation — or push the US economy into recession, triggering major uncertainties for Asian capital markets.

India’s Life Insurance Corp initial offering was oversubscribed 2.95 times, with participation from Norges Bank Investment Management, GIC, ADIA, and domestic funds; the Saudi Public Investment Fund will allow investments in Israeli companies for the first time with a $2 billion commitment in private-equity firm Affinity Partners; Hong Kong's Exchange Fund posts $7 billion quarterly loss; and more

Digital infrastructure and renewables are at the heart of the Canadian pension fund’s Asia strategy — not to mention key sectors for anticipated Asian demand.

FX strategist joins GIC from JP Morgan; BNP AM Singapore CEO Christian Bucaro to leave; QIC appoints transport partner; Abrdn names head of product strategy as its wholesales distribution director for Apac leaves for BlackRock; Hyundai- and Rockefeller-backed Sylban Group appoints vice-chair and Singapore-based MD; Franklin Templeton appoints Korea head; and more.

In the war of words in the lead up to an Australian federal election, super funds are often political collateral damage. Keeping out of the fray is smart, they say, but making a stand is just as important.