Maurice Meijers, previously based in Hong Kong as client portfolio manager for fixed income in Asia, will head the new Robeco Singapore office, which will have six employees.
Frank Reynaerts, senior credit analyst on the Rotterdam, Netherlands-based credit team, has been relocated to the new office and will focus on Asian credit markets.
According to a spokeswoman, the firm is in the process of hiring a second credit analyst in Singapore.
“Singapore is uniquely positioned as a leading fixed income hub in Asia, with a strong outlook for future growth,” Meijers said in the statement.
The new office allows Robeco to “expand our fixed income capability to leverage opportunities in the region”, he noted.
The other three staff members will be focusing on sales and client servicing locally and in broader Southeast Asia.
“Asia Pacific is a strategically important region for Robeco, and we continue to assess ways to strengthen the services,” the spokeswoman added.
In Asia Pacific, the Dutch asset manager has offices in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea.
New York Life IM in Japan
A second firm expanding in Asia is New York Life IM, which is setting up a sales office in Japan. It aims to service institutional clients in the country.
The firm believes that its investment offerings “can help meet the challenges of the low interest rate, low growth environment that institutional investors in Japan are currently facing”, a spokeswoman said.
Tatsuo Mizutori, who was most recently the chief portfolio manager of the advisory fund management department at Nomura Asset Management, will become the head of the Japan office.
Noriko Kawamoto also joined in March to oversee marketing activities. The numbers and roles of employees will be confirmed over time, the spokeswoman added.
In Asia Pacific, NYL IM currently has an office in Korea serving institutional clients, and also owns a boutique asset manager, Ausbil, in Sydney, Australia.
