The UK-listed wealth and investment management house has flagged its intent to go after Asian business more aggressively by creating a senior distribution role out of Hong Kong.

Private bank and investment house Schroders has appointed Chris Durack to the newly-formed role of head of distribution for Hong Kong. Durack has been with the UK-listed firm since 2011, working in the role of head of product and distribution in Australia. Before this, he was chief executive of Australian superannuation fund NSW State Super.

The appointment at Schroder Investment Management (Hong Kong) comes after Durack joined the Hong Kong office at the start of February.

The creation of Durack’s role “underscores the continued commitment of Schroders in strengthening its communications with clients”, the firm said .

Durack will take charge of the specialised sales and marketing approaches designed to appeal to the increasingly sophisticated and shifting preferences of Schroders’ target audience, the firm said.

Schroders, which oversaw $446.5 billion of assets as at 30 September 2015, operates from 37 offices in 27 countries across the globe.

In January, the firm made another Asia-focused appointment, naming Makoto Fukui as a senior member of its real estate business, in the newly created role of director of strategic partnerships. Fukui, who is based in London, also helps to develop Asian and Japanese business relationships as part of the role.

On the other side of the ledger, Schroders has confirmed the departure of a senior Singapore-based manager. Gerald Koh, director of private bank distribution in Singapore, is leaving in March.