Whilst initially a representative office, the Shanghai entity is expected to become a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise with additional plans for a Beijing presence over time.

Alternative funds platform Gordian Capital has opened its Shanghai representative office in a bid to support its growing number of clients in mainland China. 

The firm’s client base in China includes an asset manager with assets under management of $16 billion, a wealth management group that manages $15 billion for high-net-worth Individuals, and a large private corporation with $12 billion of assets, it said.

On behalf of these three clients, the firm said it has structured, launched and is operating offshore fund vehicles to help the firms expand outside China and diversify their client and asset bases.

Lu Shuai, who heads the trading operations at Gordian Capital Singapore, and Mark Voumard, director of Gordian Capital and chief executive of Gordian Capital Singapore, have been appointed as chief representative and authorised representative of the Shanghai office.

Whilst initially a rep. office, the Shanghai entity is expected to become a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE). Gordian also plans to expand to Beijing.

“As we grow our footprint in Asia, China has become a very important market for us” said Stanley Howard, director of Gordian Capital and chairman of Gordian Capital Singapore. “Whilst the recently announced liberalisation measures are intended to grow the domestic Chinese market and attract foreign participants, our focus initially, at least, continues to be to assist those Chinese financial market participants seeking to diversify both their investor and asset bases outside of China.”

Established in the Cayman Islands in 2004, Gordian Capital is an independent funds platform specialist. Initially launching its first operating subsidiary in Singapore in 2005, the group now has a regulated presence in Japan and Australia, and is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exempt reporting advisor.