Nikko Asset Management Co., Ltd (“Nikko AM”) today announced the appointment of Yu-Ming Wang as International Chief Investment Officer, overseeing the global investment teams outside of Japan.
Hiroki Tsujimura, currently Head of Active Investments at Nikko AM, has been promoted to Chief Investment Officer – Japan. Both appointments will be effective from 7 January 2013.
Mr Wang’s appointment is the most recent in a series of senior level hires as Nikko AM continues its expansion plans. He will be responsible for growing Nikko AM’s international investment capabilities and developing innovative new strategies in areas such as Asian alternative fixed income and bank loans, to reinforce Nikko AM’s position as Asia’s leading asset manager. He joins from Manulife Asset Management (Hong Kong) Ltd, where he was Head of Fixed Income Asia. Under his leadership, the team won a number of prestigious awards in the Asian fixed income space and became known for their strong performance in pan-Asian bonds and RMB bonds.
A veteran with unparalleled expertise in the fixed income markets, Mr Wang graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor degree in Engineering. He went on to earn his MBA at the New York University and moved to the buy-side in 1994, managing fixed income portfolios on behalf of insurance companies and asset managers. In 1998, he co-founded his own investment advisory firm, Structured Credit Partners LLC, which was later sold and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Wachovia Corporation with more than US$4.5 billion under management.
As Managing Director, Mr Wang created a specialist unit in the Fixed Income Division and rapidly grew the unit from five employees to more than 120 fixed income professionals in six years. He was then appointed Head of Global Markets and Investment Banking Asia and relocated from New York to Hong Kong to spearhead a number of prominent fund management projects in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan to expand the firm’s footprint in the Asian region. He also orchestrated the successful launches of the first pan-Asian bond fund, the first RMB bond fund and the first global REIT fund in Taiwan.
Commenting on the appointment, Bill Wilder, President and Chief Investment Officer of Nikko AM said: “Yu-Ming has an impressive range of experiences in global fixed income, a core component of our business, and we are very pleased to have attracted someone of his calibre to join us. As Nikko AM continues its expansion plans, Yu-Ming, with his proven track record, his in-depth knowledge of the region and his experience of building out an award-winning investment team in Asia, will be instrumental in growing our expertise particularly in Asian fixed income and equities, strengthening Nikko AM’s position as Asia’s leading asset manager.”
Hiroki Tsujimura, currently Head of Active Investments at Nikko AM, has been promoted to Chief Investment Officer – Japan. Mr Tsujimura, who has over 20 years of experience in the investment and financial industry, joined Nikko AM in December 2004 as Global Head of Alternative Investments and Chief Investment Officer of Nikko Asset Management Americas, Inc, in the New York office, responsible for overseeing the management of various alternative asset classes, including the highly successful global macro strategy.
Prior to joining Nikko AM, Mr Tsujimura was Executive Vice President at Nikko Securities Co. International, having served in a number of senior level roles in New York and Japan. In New York, he was responsible for heading the equity trading division and established the proprietary trading desk. Back in Japan, Mr Tsujimura then took the lead in forming a joint venture company with one of the largest brokerage houses in the United States. In his new role at Nikko AM, Mr Tsujimura will be responsible for overseeing all investment management activities in the Tokyo office.
Mr Wilder commented: “Hiroki Tsujimura’s knowledge of active and alternative investments in Japan is second to none. His promotion to Chief Investment Officer – Japan is in recognition of the leadership qualities and innovation that he has brought to Nikko AM’s business in Japan and overseas.”