There is a change at the top of the wealth management business in Asia for the Canadian banking group, as the current leader prepares to retire after more than a quarter of a century at the lender.

Royal Bank of Canada has appointed Kamran Azim as head of wealth management in Asia and CEO of the RBC Singapore branch, effective 1 November. Azim will be succeeding Rod Ireland, who will retire on 31 December, after more than 25 years working in the bank.

Azim, who has worked at RBC for almost two decades, was initially based in Toronto, and then held leadership positions including head of private banking, Singapore, and chief operating officer, wealth management for Asia.

“We are pleased to build on Rod's legacy with Kamran's appointment. Drawing on his commercial acumen, strong connectivity across RBC globally, and demonstrated success in executing strategic initiatives, Kamran is exceptionally positioned to advance our strategic priorities and deliver excellence for our clients across Asia,” Wayne Bossert, deputy chair, RBC Wealth Management, said. 

RBC has been present in Hong Kong since 1969 and Singapore since 1975; it has booking centres in Hong Kong and Singapore, a representative office in Beijing and an operations hub in Malaysia.