The office will be led by Himashi Soriano, regional director, APAC, the organisation said in a statement yesterday.

Soriano holds an MBA from The Johns Hopkins University and has worked at AFP for more than 13 years in a variety of roles. In her new position, she will  oversee operations, build customer relationships and develop partnerships within this region. Soriano also will hire and lead a team of sales, services and support staff.

"The corporate finance profession is rapidly transforming, and nowhere more so than in Asia. In particular, finance professionals in Singapore and Hong Kong realise the need for more training, education and certification. That has led to unprecedented demand for AFP's products and services—and, in turn, the need for AFP to open a regional office to better serve local financial professionals," Jim Kaitz, president and CEO of AFP said.

AFP established and administers the Certified Treasury Professional and Certified Corporate FP&A Professional credentials, which set standards of excellence in finance.