It has appointed Blair Pickerell as head of Asia and global chief marketing officer to lead the company’s expansion into Asia and carry through its “worldwide branding strategy”.
Timothy McCarthy, Nikko AM chairman and chief executive, said: “We plan to continue building our distribution and fund management capabilities throughout Asia.”
McCarthy said Nikko’s pedigree in Asia ex-Japan included it being the first foreign asset manager to offer a China A share fund outside of China, as well as its ownership of a 40% stake in China’s Rongtong Fund Management.
Pickerell said: “Nikko AM is well-positioned to become the leading investment management firm headquartered in Asia. It is one of Japan’s largest and most internationally-oriented asset management firms and has a thorough understanding of the Asian consumer.”
Pickerell will be based in Hong Kong, where Nikko is currently has a representative office of its Singapore business. He has more than 25 years experience in Asia, the majority of them working in the asset management industry.
Previous posts include chief executive of Morgan Stanley Asia, chairman of Jardine Fleming Unit Trusts and chief executive Asia Pacific for HSBC Asset Management.
