BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager which recently pushed further into the alternatives space with its Preqin purchase, makes senior hire.

BlackRock has appointed Tomoko Ueda (pictured) as chief operating officer for Asia-Pacific, replacing James Raby, who is relocating to New York to take on the role of global head of compliance.

Starting in September, the appointment will expand the role played by Ueda, who oversees business operations in the region and leads the finance, corporate strategy and development teams to drive growth and operational efficiency. Ueda reports to Susan Chan, head of Asia-Pacific, and will relocate to Hong Kong from Tokyo.

Ueda joined BlackRock in 2022 as Asia-Pacific head of corporate strategy and development to formulate the firm’s strategy and meet the firm's priorities, while pursuing partnership opportunities in Asia Pacific. Before joining the firm, she was responsible for strategy and finance at Nikko Asset Management in Japan. Ueda has had many leadership roles serving clients in the investment banking operations of Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch in the UK and Japan, the firm added. 

“She has demonstrated exceptional leadership in driving BlackRock’s growth initiatives throughout the region to align with the structural changes taking place in the global economy. These market forces – be they digital disruption, demographic divergence, transition to a low-carbon economy or geopolitical fragmentation – are presenting us with opportunities to share our expertise and insights with clients and investors, as they rethink their portfolios to generate returns,” Chan said.

Chan also thanked the outgoing COO: “James has been a dedicated and passionate leader. Beyond the direct impact he’s had on our business, he has mentored many of our young and talented professionals.”