The latest moves, appointments and personnel changes in the Asia-Pacific wealth management industry.

Citigroup has appointed Akira Hoshino as head of markets for Japan, effective from yesterday.

Hoshino will drive business growth and lead the markets franchise in Japan, reporting to Paul Smith, head of markets for Japan, Asia North and Australia, and Robert Nakamura, Citi country officer and banking head for Japan.

At Citigroup since 2019 when he joined the US bank in Japan as foreign exchange head, Hoshino was previously head of global markets sales and trading at MUFG Bank, chair of the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market Committee (2009 to 2019) and vice chair of the Global Foreign Exchange Committee from 2017 to 2020.

Citigroup's integrated business model, the corporate banking side, and capital markets part of the bank typically work closely with the private banking arm, given that many high net worth and ultra-HNW clients own operating companies.

Among recent hires, in March, Citi Australia and New Zealand appointed Ben Connolly and Philippe Perzi as co-heads of capital markets and advisory. 

In mid-February, Citi Private Bank appointed Hoo Peng Han as a director of its global family office group. He will concentrate on the Asia South market. In January, Citigroup appointed Jeff Wu as head of market sales for China, dealing with offshore and onshore clients. In this role he will relocate to Shanghai. The private banking side of Citigroup has also announced a change at the top. Ida Liu, head of the global private bank, has left.