Asia moves: Hong Kong exchange on senior hiring spree, KKR picks Apac strategist, and more

Latest job changes across industry

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing has announced a number of senior management changes. Wilfred Yiu will join the company on April 8 as head of markets, replacing Roger Lee, who retired at the end of last year. Bipin Patel will join the company as group risk officer, replacing Roland Chai, who takes on the newly-created role of head of post-trade. 

Yiu joins the stock exchange operator from Beijing Gao Hua Securities in China. Patel joins from Japan Exchange Group, where he was
senior quantitative risk adviser. Both will report to HKEx chief executive Charles Li and Calvin Tai, who has been promoted to chief operating officer and co-president from his previous position as head of clearing at the exchange. 

Romnesh Lamba, currently co-head of market development, has also been appointed co-president at the exchange. There will now be a single head of market development: Li Gang, who previously shared this position with Lamba. Richard Leung, deputy group chief information officer, has been promoted to group chief technology officer. In addition, James Fok, head of group strategy, will become a member of the group’s management committee, subject to HKEx board’s approval.

---

Promontory Financial Group Japan Services has named Tsuyoshi Oyama as its chief executive officer. Oyama joined this month and was previously the head of Center for Risk Management and Strategy at Deloitte in Japan for almost nine years.

---

KKR has appointed of Kate Richdale as member and head of strategy and business development in Asia-Pacific. In this role, Richdale will work with KKR’s senior leadership team in Asia to help the firm expand its platform across business and new investment strategies. Richdale joins KKR from Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong, where she was chairwoman of investment banking in Asia ex-Japan. Prior to that, she was the co-head of the firm’s investment banking division in Asia ex-Japan.

---

The Monetary Authority of Singapore has named Edward Robinson, currently assistant managing director of economic policy, as deputy managing director of economic policy. Chia Der Jiun, currently assistant managing director of corporate, human resources and IT services, has also been elevated to deputy managing director of corporate development. He replaces Andrew Khoo, who is leaving MAS. The appointments are effective from May 1.

---

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission has named Nicky Lo Kar-chun and Clement Chan Kam-wing as non-executive directors for a term of two years. They replace outgoing non-executive directors Mary Ma Xuezheng and Albert Au Siu-cheung. The terms of Lo and Chan will begin on April 24 and May 26 respectively.

---

Bain & Company has appointed Satish Shankar as the managing partner for Asia-Pacific  effective April 1. Shankar, who was most recently the managing partner for the firm’s South-east Asia business, will continue to be based in Singapore. He works with clients across energy and natural resources, transportation, and consumer products on strategy, transformation, performance improvement and mergers & acquisitions. He has also led Bain’s M&A practice across the Asia-Pacific region.

---

Natixis has named Robert Wallin as industry banker for the telecom sector, corporate and investment banking unit, effective March 1. Wallin will initially be based in Hong Kong for six months, reporting to Bertrand Guiot, head of infrastructure sector for Apac and Raghu Narain, head of investment banking for Apac. He will then relocate to Paris, where he will report to Anne-Christine Champion, global head of real assets. He joins Natixis from Huawei Technologies, where he was most recently executive director of the customer financing solutions department, a role he held since 2011.

Natixis has also announced the appointment of Charles Picard as head of private bank and family office coverage for Apac at the corporate and investment banking unit, effective immediately. In this newly-created role, Charles will lead the development of Natixis’s business relationships with private banks and family offices across the region. He also maintains his existing role as executive director, strategic equity transactions overseeing origination in South-east Asia. He remains based in Singapore for his new role and reports to Damien Cleris, head of coverage and co-head of investment banking for Apac. He joined Natixis in September 2017, prior to which he had been with BNP Paribas for 16 years.

---

Citi has appointed Rajat Madhok as head of Citi commercial bank Asia-Pacific. Based in Hong Kong, Rajat replaces Ashish Bajaj, who has taken on a global role as ecosystem head for CCB. In his new role, Rajat reports to Sunil Garg, global head for the commercial bank and Gonzalo Luchetti, Apac head for consumer banking. Previously, Rajat served as Apac head of mid corporates for the commercial bank, a position he had held since 2014.

---

Citi has named Ashu Khullar as the new India head, replacing its current chief executive officer Pramit Jhaveri. Khullar is currently the head of capital markets origination for the Asia-Pacific region. Jhaveri takes charge as vice-chairman of banking, capital markets and advisory of Apac from April 1.

---

PineBridge Investments has named Anthony Fasso as Asia-Pacific chief executive officer. Based in Hong Kong, Fasso will report to PineBridge chief executive Greg Ehret. Previously, Fasso spent five years as chief executive officer of Axa Rosenberg Apac and Axa Investment Managers Apac.

---

MSCI has appointed Beng Eu Lim as head of south Asia client coverage.  Based in Singapore, Lim is responsible for strengthening MSCI’s presence in south Asia, specifically in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region and India. He reports to Jack Lin, head of Apac client coverage. Lim joins MSCI from Bento Invest, a robo-adviser and digital wealth technology provider, where he served as the head of institutional client engagement.