HSBC Asset Management (HSBC AM) announces that it has appointed Daisy Ho as its new Regional CEO for Asia Pacific & Hong Kong, effective 8 November. Based in Hong Kong, she will report to CEO Nicolas Moreau.
Ho has over 20 years’ experience in asset management and joins from Fidelity International, where she was President for China overseeing the firm’s overall China strategy across business, investments, operations and other key functions. Prior to that, she was Managing Director, Asia ex-Japan & Middle East.
In her new role, Ho will be responsible for leading and growing HSBC AM’s business in Asia Pacific by continuing to build on the firm’s strength in Hong Kong, increasing its market share across core markets and expanding its footprint in mainland China, India and ASEAN. Her role will also involve the CEO responsibilities for HSBC AM Hong Kong.
Nomura Asset Management’s Malaysia unit has promoted Leslie Yap, its current head of investment, to the position of managing director and country head.
Yap will replace Regina Rahim, who has led the firm’s Malaysia operation since it was first set up in 2006. Rahim vacated her role at the end of October, becoming an advisor to the franchise business.
Yap, an investment veteran of over 20 years, has spent over half of his career at Nomura, where he is responsible for the developed markets equities and portfolio management team in Malaysia.
Nomura Asset Management Malaysia currently has $7.2bn of assets under management, running strategies across equities, bonds and sukuk investments.
Sun Life Financial Inc. hired Ingrid Johnson from South African insurance and banking group Old Mutual plc as the new president of its Asia unit. Johnson succeeds Léo Grépin, who left Sun Life on 15 October pursue other opportunities.
Johnson, who was previously group finance director at Old Mutual, has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance and financial services industries. She will be responsible for the insurance company’s life, health, and wealth management business in eight Asian markets including China, Hong Kong and Indonesia.
Julius Baer named Kevin Tay as its head of Singapore wealth planning and family office services. He will be responsible for leading Julius Baer’s wealth planning team in the city state and, in a newly created role, oversee the bank’s family office proposition.
Tay joins from Sequent Group, where he was senior partner, head of Asia and a member of the group executive committee. Before that, he was with Julius Baer for almost 14 years, most recently as head of wealth planning and investment finance for Southeast Asia.
In his new role, Tay reports to Eleanor Yuen, head of wealth planning and investment finance APAC, for wealth planning, and Jason Moo, head private banking, Southeast Asia and branch manager, Singapore, for family office services.
The latest hire comes shortly after the Swiss private bank appointed Vincent Ming as deputy group head of Greater China, based in Singapore. Ming previously worked at UOB Private Bank as market head of North Asia.
London-based asset manager M&G Investments has hired Alfred Foo from rival abrdn, formerly Aberdeen Standard Investments, as director for intermediary channels in Singapore. He reports to Berny Lin, head of distribution for Asia ex-Japan.
According to Lin, Singapore is a key market for the company and Fo’s “keen understanding of the complex investment needs of our clients will help lead the team as we continue to focus on growth.”
Foo, who has also worked for Vanguard, Credit Suisse and Standard Chartered, was responsible for Singapore’s wholesale segment covering private and retail banks and insurers at abrdn.
