The latest senior moves, appointments and personnel changes in the Asia-Pacific wealth management sector.

JP Morgan Asset Management
JP Morgan Asset Management (JPMAM) has appointed Naomi Finnigan (main picture) as a high net worth client advisor for Australia to support the growth that JPMAM is seeing in its HNW channel.

Finnigan’s role includes working closely with private banks and family offices to understand their needs and provide bespoke investment solutions. Based in Melbourne, she will report to Mark Carlile, head of wholesale, Australia and New Zealand, JP Morgan AM said in a statement yesterday.

Prior to JPMAM, Finnigan served as the head of investment solutions at Netwealth, where she led the strategy and distribution of investment solutions, which involved collaborating with internal teams and external stakeholders. Finnigan has more than two decades of experience in the financial services industry across a variety of strategies and solutions, including domestic and international equities, fixed income, and alternative investments. 

"Her extensive experience and deep understanding of the HNW, ultra-HNW and family office distribution landscape will be invaluable as we continue to deliver tailored solutions to meet the needs and investment goals of these clients," Carlile said.

Over the past five years, following a concerted effort to deliver global, low-cost active solutions to clients, JPMAM Australia’s AuM has grown by 35 per cent, it said: â€śOur distribution team has grown almost 40 per cent since 2021, and we are incredibly proud of their commitment to growing our business. Naomi's appointment highlights our commitment to investing in top talent and growing our business in the region.”

LaSalle Investment Management
Global real estate investment manager LaSalle Investment Management has made two key leadership appointments in Asia Pacific.

Steve Hyung Kim has been appointed Asia Pacific co-chief investment officer effective 1 February. He is partnering with Kunihiko (Nick) Okumura who will be continuing as Asia Pacific co-CIO.

Additionally, effective 1 July, Kim and Okumura, who will succeed Keith Fujii as co-heads of Asia Pacific, will join LaSalle’s global management committee. Kim and Okumura will also continue to serve as CEO of Japan and head of Korea respectively. As Asia Pacific co-heads and co-CIOs, their responsibilities cover charting the vision and strategy for LaSalle’s business in the region and stewarding the investment performance of LaSalle’s clients.

Okumura, who joined LaSalle Japan in 2011, was appointed Asia Pacific Co-CIO in 2021 and additionally as CEO of Japan in 2023. With more than 27 years of Japanese real estate experience, Okumura has completed over $20 billion of debt and equity transactions across multiple asset classes.

Kim, who joined LaSalle in 2013 – and serves as head of Korea – is a member of the Asia-Pacific investment committee. With more than 24 years of real estate private equity and investment banking experience across a wide spread of markets in Asia Pacific, Kim has used his investment acumen to build an “exceptional track record,” particularly in opportunistic high-return investing strategies.

As part of this leadership transition, Keith Fujii will become chairman of Asia Pacific – also effective 1 July – and will retain his position as chairman of the Asia Pacific investment committee. Since joining LaSalle as CEO of Japan in 2018 and through his appointment as head of Asia Pacific in 2021, Fujii has been a key figure and a respected leader in the firm, it said. In his capacity as chairman, Fujii will oversee growth and stability of LaSalle's Asia Pacific platform, collaborating with the leadership team.

Claire Tang, who leaves LaSalle at the end of February 2025, will step down from her roles as Asia-Pacific co-CIO and head of Greater China to pursue other opportunities.

“The appointment of Nick and Steve as co-heads of Asia Pacific represents a significant milestone in their successful careers. The next chapter for our Asia-Pacific platform will require a growth mindset and an innovative approach to investing, qualities which both Nick and Steve have amply demonstrated and will bring to their new roles,” Mark Gabbay, global CEO said. “The new appointments are a reflection of the strong bench of talented leaders as well as the robust succession plans that are in place at LaSalle. LaSalle remains committed to Asia-Pacific, a region in which the firm is well-established, with a successful track record it is focused on extending.”