Aviva Investors
Kevin Talbot, chief executive and chief investment officer of Aviva Investors Asia Pacific is to retire. Talbot has been chief executive since June 2014 having joined the firm in 2010. He is leaving Singapore to return to his native Australia at the end of August.
London-based Mike Craston will assume the role of chief executive for Asia Pacific on an interim basis on top of his role as global head of business development.
Last month, Talbot spoke with International Adviser about the importance of the company’s acquisition of Friends Provident International for its key distribution markets.
BNY Mellon
Hani Kablawi has been named the new head of investment services for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Formerly head of asset servicing for EMEA, Kablawi will lead the business strategy for Investment Services in the region and will continue to be based in London.
He will report to Brian Shea, chief executive of Investment Services and Michael Cole-Fontayn, chairman of EMEA.
Daron Pearce will replace Kablawi as chief executive of asset servicing for EMEA. Pearce has a 16-year track record at BNY Mellon, most recently as chief executive of Global Financial Institutions for Asset Servicing. He will report to Kablawi and Samir Pandiri, chief executive of Asset Servicing.
HSBC Private Bank
HSBC Private Bank has announced the appointment of Joe Abruzzo as business head of North America. In this role, Abruzzo will be responsible for driving and executing HSBC’s strategy for private banking across North America, particularly in the US. He will also serve as a member of the HSBC Global Private Bank Executive Committee.
Based in New York, Abruzzo will report to Marlon Young, regional head of Global Private Banking, US & Latin America.
UBS Asset Management
UBS AM has named Hayden Briscoe head of fixed income Asia Pacific with immediate effect. He joins from Alliance Bernstein and brings with him 24 years’ experience in fixed income and currency.
In his new role, based in Hong Kong, Briscoe will oversee all fixed income portfolio management and business activities in the region.
First State
Kelley Foo has been named a portfolio manager within the multi-asset solutions team of First State. Based in Singapore, Foo will be responsible for implementing and managing the firm’s multi-asset strategies in Asia. She joins from Nuvest Capital and brings with her 10 years’ industry experience.
Reporting directly to the head of multi-asset solutions, Epco van de Lende, Foo will be working closely with regional business development teams to assist clients with their long-term investment strategies and other investment-related issues.
Cayman Islands Monetary Authority
Ruwan Jayasekera has been confirmed as the new head of the insurance supervision division at the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (Cima). With over 15 years’ regulatory and insurance experience, Jayasekera is understood to be well known to the industry.
He first joined Cima in April 2007, as a senior analyst in the insurance supervision division, and was later promoted to chief analyst. After working in this capacity for a few years, he returned to Sri Lanka in 2011, taking up the position of assistant general manager – business operations at Allianz Insurance Lanka. He returned to Cima in 2013 as deputy head in the insurance division.
Temasek International
Robin Hu is to step down as chief executive of newspaper group South China Morning Post (SCMP) to join Temasek International, part of state-owned Singapore investment company Temasek Holdings.
Hu, who during his four years in charge oversaw the transfer of ownership of SCMP to e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, will join Temasek as joint head of a new group called the Sustainability and Stewardship Group.
Thomas Miller Investment
A new structure that combines the firm’s UK private investment management (PIM) business with the investment management arm of its wealth management business will see two people leave the business.
Paula Eddery, director of TMI’s wealth management business who previously had responsibility for running the managed portfolio service; and Scott Baikie, senior portfolio manager within UK PIM, are to depart.
Trilake Partners
The Singapore-based wealth management firm has appointed Arnulfo de Pala as its new chief investment officer with immediate effect. He has worked in the financial services industry for 25 years, according to a statement from the firm.
Prior to joining Trilake, he was chief investment and trust officer at East West Bank in the Philippines. In 2002, he worked at HSBC where he was responsible for marketing, product development and training for the wealth management business. He was later assigned to the Channel Islands to train the HSBC’s offshore financial advisers.
Cirencester Friendly
Cirencester Friendly has appointed Michelle West-Wiggins as its new head of customer care. She has 25 years’ financial services experience having held various roles at Coventry Building Society, Barclays and RR Donnelly.
In her new role, West-Wiggins will be the main contact for advisers at Cirencester Friendly, in addition to taking responsibility for direction and development of the customer care team and monitoring performance.
