The firm has made a range of appointments to its Asia-Pacific operations.

Global financial services firm Franklin Templeton Investments has appointed Terence Bong as head of wholesale Southeast Asia, and Dora Seow as head of distribution, institutional and wholesale business Southeast Asia, effective from 2 January.

The firm has also appointed Woon Pin Chong as managing director of Franklin Real Asset Advisors, responsible for the Asia-Pacific region, the firm said in a statement.

Based in Singapore, Bong will head the firm’s retail sales and private banking efforts for the Southeast Asian region and also be responsible for business development and marketing of investment products and strategies.

He has over a decade of industry experience and expertise in the asset management industry. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton, Bong held a similar leadership position as head of intermediary business development for Asia at Nikko Asset Management.

Before that, he spent 10 years at Schroders, holding a variety of roles in product management and private banking sales, including his last position as head of private banks distribution, based in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Bong will report to Seow, who has taken on a new role as head of distribution, institutional and wholesale business Southeast Asia. Seow joined Franklin Templeton Investments in 2001 and was previously head of institutional business, Southeast Asia. 

Based in Singapore, Seow reports to Adam Quaife, co-chief executive of Templeton Asset Management, and she will now oversee both the firm’s institutional and retail sales channels for the region.

Chong
Chong will lead FRAA’s APAC investment team in research, analysis and transactions of private real estate investment opportunities in the region, and define market insights and investment themes.

In addition to investment management, he will also be responsible for the business development and marketing of real estate investment products and strategies, with a focus on Asian markets.

Based in Singapore, Chong has over two decades of experience and expertise in the real estate industry. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton, he was a managing director at Savant Global Capital. Chong was also Asia managing director for Australian investment manager Centuria Capital.