Australia

Vanguard, the US-based
investment management firm, naed Jeffrey Johnson as the new head of
investment strategy and research for the the Asia-Pacific business. In
early 2014, Johnson relocates to Australia to oversee a team of four
senior investment analysts and economists focussed on the Asia-Pacific
region.

 

iPac, the financial advisory arm of the AMP Group,
announced the final appointment to its Australian leadership team.
Matthew Fogarty assumed the newly-created role of head of advice and
business optimisation. Prior to that, he was a national practise
development manager at the van Eyk Group, having been a founding partner
at practise consultancy firm The Encore Group, which sold to van Eyk in
2011.

 

International investment consultancy firm Towers
Watson grew its Australian team with few new appointments, consisting of
two investment consultants and three investment analysts. Craig Mercer,
who previously served as head of the London office at Dalton
Investments, re-joined the company as a specialist senior hedge fund and
alternatives consultant. Sean O'Shea joined the Sydney team as
investment consultant. The three new investment analysts are Sean
Hollins, Brushan Chiniah and Chris Tan.

 

National Australia Bank appointed a new chief
executive for JBWere, its private wealth management business. Justin
Greiner joined from ANZ, where he served as general manager for wealth
transformation. Before that, he was the head of private NSW and head of
advisory also at ANZ.

 

Australian retirement and wealth management firm
Challenger launched a new advice series division, to be led by John
Carnevale. Carnevale previously served as head of the Institute of
Advice at Colonial First State. Joining him are Andrew Biviano as
technical services manager and Minh Ly and Esabel Thinnakone as
analysts.

 

Commonwealth Bank of Australia appointed a new
executive general manager for its online trading arm, Commonwealth
Securities. Effective 10 February 2014, Paul Rayson assumes the lead
role after serving as executive general manager of CommInsure, the
firm's life insurance arm.

 

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group announced
that David Gonski is its new chairman effective from the start of 2014.
Gonski left his role as managing director and chairman of Future Fund
and will succeed John Morschel as the new head in February 2014. After
relinquishing some of his current commitments, he assumes the chairman
post in May.

 

US-based investment firm AllianceBernstein named Jen
Driscoll as chief executive for its Australia and New Zealand business.
The appointment is in addition to her current role as co-head of global
client relations. 

 

AMP Capital changed its senior management structure
after its chief investment officer David Kiddie announced that he is
leaving to join his family in the UK. The CIO role will be split between
Sean Henaghan, head of multi-manager and investment solutions, and Mark
Beardow, head of fixed income. 

 

Redpoint Investment Management, the Sydney-based
firm minority-owned by National Australia Bank, appointed three senior
officers to its team. Max Cappetta and Anthony Corr joined as investment
directors, while Kheng Kua was named chief technology officer. All
three move from Continuum Capital, which Cappetta and Corr co-founder
and where Kua held a combined investment analyst and technology post.

Manulife Asset
Management created a new senior role within its asset allocation unit
and named Michelle Ng as the managing director and portfolio specialist
responsible for strategies based in Hong Kong. Ng joined from Mercer
Investemnts and previously worked with Watson Wyatt Hong Kong, Mercer
Human Resources Consulting and Watson Wyatt Australia.

 

Cushman & Wakefield, the international
commercial real estate services firm, bolstered its Hong Kong
residential team with the hire of Angel Law as executire director. Her
appointment took effect 10 December 2013 and she will head the
newly-launched residential brokerage services desk.

 

BNP Paribas Investment Partners, the asset
management business of French banking giant BNP Paribas Group, named
Pieter Oyens as the new head of the Asian investment solutions arms to
focus on institutional clients, distributors and wealth management
clients. Based in Hong Kong, he leads a team of investment specialists
liaising between Asian investment centres, customer relationship
managers and global clients. Prior to BNPP IP, Oyens was a Hong
Kong-based managing director at Harvest Global Investments. Earlier in
the month, the bank named Helene Li as managing director, head of
strategic planning, brand communications for Asia-Pacific. She reports
to Mignonne Cheng, chairman and chief executive of BNP Paribas Wealth
Management Asia-Pacific.

 

India

Citibank strengthened
its ASEAN consumer banking business with the promotion of Anand
Selvakesari as head of consumer banking effective 1 January 2014.
Selvakesari has been with the company since 1991 and was promoted after
serving as head of India's consumer banking arm since July 2011. His new
role expands on his coverage of the India consumer and commercial
banking businesses to include functions in the ASEAN cluster. Also
newly-appointed is Kartik Kaushik as deputy head of its consumer banking
arm in India effective 1 January 2014. Kaushik reports to Selvakesari.

 

Japan

Mizuho Financial
announced changes to its management lineup. In early 2014, Masaru Ono
joins the Mizuho board as director, subject to the approval of
shareholders in 6 January. Ono, the head of the banking and finance
group at Japan law firm Nishimura Asahi, qualifies as an "outside
director" under the Company Law of Japan. At the same meeting,
shareholders will also finalise his appointment as director of Mizuho
Securities, the investment banking and securities arm of the firm. 

 

New Zealand

Deutsche Bank
named Patrick O'Rourke as chief country officer in New Zealand,
immediately succeeding Brett Shepher who is taking on the role as chief
executive of Deutsche Craigs Limited. Shepherd's move expands the bank's
partnership with New Zealand investment firm Craigs Investment
Partners.

 

Singapore

VP Bank
(Singapore) confirmed the departure of Patrick Donaldson as head of
private banking. The firm said it has already found a replacement to
commence in January 2014 but has yet to give details.

 

Russell Investments managing director for ASEAN and
Taiwan Trevor Persaud lef his Singapore-based post after almost three
years with the firm. Russell has not responded to queries seeking
comment.

 

Mercer, the global consulting firm, appointed Lisa
Sun as its new managing director and market leader for its ASEAN region
coverage. Sun, previously the head of protection proposition for
Asia-Pacific and Middle East at Zurich Insurance Group, succeeds Su-Yen
Wong, who was named senior advisor for Mercer and Oliver Wyman, its
sister company. She reports to Gaurav Garg, regional president for
growth markets.

 

International law firm Withers expanded its Asian
wealth planning business with three new hires. Karen Lai, Connie Yik
Kong and Suzanne Johnston were appointed to the division that focuses on
high net worth clients. Johnston and Yik Kong join the Singapore office
to assist HNW individuals with international estate and tax planning
needs. Karen Lai relocates from London and in this new role will advice
on trust structures, tax and succession planning for international
clients and their families.

 

Eastspring Investments, the asset management arm of
Prudential Asia, named a new chief executive for its Singapore business.
Jackie Chew joined after servig as the regional director of group-wide
internal audit Asia for Prudential Corporation Asia.

 

HSBC Private Bank confirmed that Ken Ng is joining
as team head of the domestic Singapore team effective 1 January 2014. Ng
reports to Rob Ioannou, business head for Singapore and international
markets. He previously held a senior role within the commercial banking
business of HSBC.

 

Coutts appointed Wong Lee as executive director,
head of wealth planning in Singapore. Based in Singapore, Lee has the
task of creating market-leading solutions and leading a team of wealth
planners to cover the Singapore, Indonesia, Global NRI, Malaysia and
Thailand markets.