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Summary Of Senior Asia-Pacific Moves Wealth Management – February 2025
Editorial Staff
25 April 2025
Sun Life appointed Georgina Farrell as chief human resources officer for Asia. She is based in Hong Kong, reporting to Helena Pagano, executive vice-president (EVP), chief people and culture officer, Sun Life, and Manjit Singh, president, Sun Life Asia. Before this, Farrell was chief people officer at RSA, UK, Ireland and Europe. Global real estate investment manager LaSalle Investment Management made two key leadership appointments in Asia Pacific. Steve Hyung Kim was appointed Asia-Pacific co-chief investment officer; he partners with Kunihiko (Nick) Okumura who is continuing as APAC co-CIO. Citigroup appointed Christie Chang as the new CEO for Taiwan and the chairman of Citibank Taiwan. She took the helm from Aftab Ahmed, who was set to retire after 50 years of service with the US banking group. Chang reports to Marc Luet, head of Japan, Asia North and Australia and banking. SCB Julius Baer appointed Adrian Mazenauer as the new CEO. Mazenauer had served as deputy CEO and head of wealth management Thailand at SCB Julius Baer. Still based in Thailand, he replaced Peerapong Jirasevijinda who stepped down last October for personal reasons. JP Morgan Asset Management appointed Kaguya Komatsu as CEO for its Japan business. Komatsu took over from Shoichi Ohkoshi, who became the firm’s chairman. Both individuals report to Dan Watkins, APAC chief executive of JPMAM. Joining JPMAM in 2011, Komatsu most recently served as head of funds and institutional business for Japan. In the case of Ohkoshi, he joined JP Morgan in 1994 within its corporate and investment bank, switching to leading its Japanese asset management business from 2015.
FWD Group, a pan-Asian insurance group operating in areas which include cover for HNW clients and other customer cohorts, appointed three board members: Andrew Weir, Dominic Leung Ka Kui, and Laura Deal-Lacey. Separately, Richard Sun Po Yuen retired from the board.
DBS appointed Derrick Goh, group audit head, to the newly-formed role of group chief operating officer.
Koh Kar Siong, group head of corporate and SME banking, took over as group audit head.
Goh has been with DBS since 2008. Koh joined DBS in 2003 and has worked across businesses and geographies.
Jimmy Ng, group head of operations, was due to retire from executive duties with effect from 1 July 2025 and be made senior advisor for the bank’s artificial intelligence efforts until 31 December 2025.
DBS made other moves: Chen Ze Ling, Singapore head of corporate banking, succeeded Koh as group head of corporate and SME banking. Chen reports to Han Kwee Juan, group head of institutional banking. Prior to his current role, Chen was most recently country head of DBS Australia, a role he assumed in 2019.
Welson Jamin, head of institutional banking group operations and international centres technology and operations, was appointed group head of operations. Jamin, who has 25 years of technology and operations experience with DBS, reports to Derrick Goh, who assumed the role of group COO.
WRISE Group appointed Chen Jingwei as regional chief investment officer. Chen Jingwei oversees all investment-related activities across the firm’s mass-affluent segment, WRISE Prestige Hong Kong, in addition to his responsibilities as chief investment strategist at WRISE Private Singapore. Prior to joining the firm in 2022, Chen Jingwei held prominent positions at Julius Baer, Leonteq, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Citi Private Bank hired Hoo Peng Han, as a director of its global family office group, concentrating on the Asia South market. Previously, he worked at UBS and Credit Suisse. Hoo Peng Han, a Singaporean, is based in Singapore. He joined Stephan Lanz, a Singapore-based director of the global family office team.
JP Morgan Asset Management appointed Naomi Finnigan as a high net worth client advisor for Australia. Based in Melbourne, she reports to Mark Carlile, head of wholesale, Australia and New Zealand. Prior to JPMAM, Finnigan served as the head of investment solutions at Netwealth, where she led the strategy and distribution of investment solutions, which involved collaborating with internal teams and external stakeholders.
Additionally, effective 1 July, Kim and Okumura, who succeed Keith Fujii as co-heads of Asia Pacific, were slated to join LaSalle’s global management committee. Kim and Okumura also continue to serve as CEO of Japan and head of Korea respectively.
Charles Russell Speechlys, the international law firm, appointed Gaven Cheong as partner within the funds team in Hong Kong. Previously, Cheong served as head of investment funds for three years from 2021 at Tiang & Partners.
BNP Paribas appointed Alexis Wu as market head for Hong Kong at its wealth management arm. Wu reports to Lemuel Lee, head of wealth management, Hong Kong. Previously, Wu was managing director and co-head of private wealth management at China Merchants Bank International (CMBI).
Monroe Capital appointed Galen Fu, director for business development. He is based in the firm’s Sydney office. Fu has more than 14 years of experience in capital raising, portfolio management and banking in the Asia-Pacific region.
Howden appointed Steve Hutchinson as chief broking officer in its Hong Kong business. Hutchinson, who is based in Hong Kong, reports to Alfred Sham, CEO for Howden Hong Kong. Prior to this, Hutchinson was senior vice president and risk management practice team leader for Marsh Asia, based in Hong Kong.
PineBridge Investments appointed Angie Ng as chief executive for Malaysia, and managing director, equities. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Ng is responsible for PineBridge’s Malaysia office.