BGI appoints Asian official institutions head

Barclays Global Investors has appointed James Blair as head of official institutions in Asia, excluding Japan.

The role is new and involves managing business with government-related entities in the region, such as central banks and state pension funds. Jonathan Pye, Barclays’ head of distribution there, said: “This is a strategic hire which will give additional focus to this key client sector.”

Blair will be based in Singapore and reports to Pye. He was formerly a director of fixed-income at Fidelity Investments in Hong Kong.