The latest moves in and around the Asia-Pacific wealth management industry.

Manulife 
Manulife Hong Kong, part of the Asian Manulife group, which provides wealth and protection products, has set up a “health function” to drive business in Hong Kong.

The firm has appointed Wilton Kee, who has been Manulife Hong Kong's vice president, chief product officer for individual financial products since October 2016. She becomes VP, chief product officer and head of health, with effect from 1 March.

Kee joined Manulife in 2013 as assistant vice president and pricing officer, individual financial products, Hong Kong, overseeing its marketing actuarial functions.

In his new role, Kee will also ead Manulife's health business in Hong Kong, covering individual and group life and health solutions. These include the developing medical and critical illness products.

In the past, this news service has covered the wealth management aspects of this protection, such as critical illness cover, a market arguably and not sufficiently appreciated by advisors to high net worth and ultra-HNW individuals. 

"Demand for protection is rising tremendously as people become more health conscious, especially in Hong Kong where we enjoy the highest life expectancy in the world. As a pre-eminent health expert in the industry, Manulife has a compelling suite of products to meet this growing demand," Damien Green, chief executive of Manulife Hong Kong and Macau, said. 

The group recently launched Manulife Supreme, a Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) flexi plan which adds to the two VHIS plans it launched last year. Manulife also added ManuVital Care, a critical illness product which provides coverage for more than 110 critical illnesses and diseases at affordable, guaranteed premiums.