Abhi Shroff has left his role as Asia managing director of Greenwich Associates to join US fund house Pimco as head of Southeast Asia institutional business development.
Fund firms are boosting distribution teams with an eye on institutional investors expanding allocations to more specialist international asset classes, according to two reports.
The institutional research firm lost its regional head recently, but is adding staff overall. It has almost trebled headcount across Hong Kong and Singapore since 2010.
Nine out of 10 Asian institutions express concern over the Fed's QE slowdown and prospect of rising rates. As they diversify they should outsource more, says Greenwich Associates.
Compensation is increasing for Asian equity and fixed income buy-side professionals, with investor inflows to the region forecast to drive salaries nearer to US levels, finds Greenwich.
Swiss Re hires head of China asset management business; BlackRock deregisters its China WFOE; DWS names head of Apac insurance coverage; Amundi appoints first Asia sustainability officer; Manulife IM appoints senior portfolio manager for asset allocation; Morgan Stanley IM hires portfolio manager for A-shares; and more.
Although sustainable funds have seen increasing inflows amid growing environmental awareness and the spotlight on social issues due to Covid-19, the industry still lacks a standard definition of sustainable investing. Nicholette MacDonald-Brown, head of European blend equities at Schroders, explains the firm’s three-pronged approach of people, process and purpose.
Special purpose acquisition companies (Spacs) have gained ground as financing vehicles for companies looking to go public. But Asian family offices have yet to make many investments.
CPPIB, Omers and OTPP are busy hiring in the region for investment talent in credit, real assets and particularly equities. Omers is also planning to add office space in Singapore.
De-risking and green securitisation will help unlock much-needed institutional capital for sustainable infrastructure projects in Asia, say executives at multilateral development banks.
The Canadian and Korean asset management operations of two life insurers have agreed to jointly take advantage of rising institutional investor demand for Asian alternative assets.
The Canadian pension fund is transferring a senior portfolio manager from Singapore with a view to expanding and internationalising its capital markets team further.
The Hong Kong-listed shares of mainland companies should receive more interest as Chinese pensions and global investors seek to benefit from relatively low valuations.