Shiqi Wang

Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc (‘Aviva’), today announces that it has appointed Shiqi Wang as Client Solutions Director, Global Client Solutions, Asia Pacific.

Shiqi will be based in Singapore and will report to Richard Surrency, Head of Asia Pacific, Global Client Solutions. In this role, Shiqi will work closely with the local client services team to accelerate the growth of the business, expanding Aviva Investors’ distribution capability and covering the regional insurers and will play a key role in leading Aviva Investors’ global financial institutional strategy across the region.

Shiqi comes to Aviva Investors with seventeen years of industry experience, bringing an extensive history in asset management and institutional sales. Previously, she worked for Algebris Investments in Singapore, where she led business development and investor relations in Asia and the Middle East. Prior to that, Shiqi was an Investment Consultant with Mercer, where she provided investing consulting advice on portfolio construction and multi-asset investment management to institutional clients in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. She also has experience with Australian institutions, having worked for ANZ’s Singapore office for more than seven years.

Shiqi’s appointment is another senior hire for Aviva Investors’ Asia Pacific client team and follows that of Richard Surrency, who joined the business in late 2022.

This appointment underlines Aviva Investors’ commitment to strengthening its presence in the region and continuing to provide Asia Pacific institutional investors with access to global investment solutions including global equity, credit, and real assets.

Richard Surrency, Head of Asia Pacific, Client Solutions at Aviva Investors, commented: “With a heightened strategic focus in the Asia Pacific region, Shiqi’s appointment marks a key milestone in the firm’s regional growth strategy. In 2023, we are expanding our relationships across the region, and Shiqi’s wealth of experience and industry expertise will be invaluable given the significance, scale and potential growth opportunities in this region.”

Shiqi holds both designation as a CFA and CAIA charter holder. She has also earned CFA Institute’s Certificate in ESG Investing and BA Honours in Accountancy from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

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Richard Surrency

Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc (‘Aviva’), announces that it has appointed Richard Surrency as Head of Asia Pacific.

Richard will be based in Singapore and will report to Scott Callander, Global Head of Distribution at Aviva Investors.

Richard joins from Franklin Templeton, where he led its private markets and alternatives business in Asia, developing country-level strategies and partnering with the alternative investment, product and distribution teams to generate solutions for institutional and sophisticated clients in the region. He was also a member of Franklin Templeton’s APAC Executive Committee. Prior to Franklin Templeton, Richard was CEO of Algebris Investments (Asia) where he was responsible for the growth of the firm in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. He has also held senior APAC roles at Morgan Stanley and BNY Mellon.

Scott Callander, Global Head of Distribution at Aviva Investors, commented: “Richard brings over 20 years of experience, exceptional leadership skills and strong relationships with major Asian institutions, including SWFs, pension funds, insurers and GFIs. His wealth of experience and expertise will be invaluable in this critical role given the significance, scale and potential growth opportunities in the region.”

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In his new role, Kudva will be responsible for leading the firm’s retail and institutional distribution across the region and continue to be based in Mumbai. Kudva’s appointment is effective at the completion of Franklin Templeton’s acquisition of Legg Mason, which is expected on 31 July 2020.

Kudva brings over three decades of industry experience and expertise in asset management and banking. Prior to taking up this role, he held a similar leadership position as Head of EMEA and India, also based in Mumbai.

Jenny Johnson, President and CEO of Franklin Templeton,said, “The acquisition of Legg Mason will establish Franklin Templeton as one of the world’s largest independent asset managers, with a newly combined AUM that will be over USD$164 billion in the APAC region, after deal close. I would like to congratulate Vivek Kudva on his new role to lead the team in delivering a range of truly diversified global investment strategies through an expansive distribution organisation with global reach and scale. Vivek’s strengths as a leader and depth of experience in various international markets position him ideally to lead our newly combined business in the APAC region.”

In addition, Kudva announced the following senior leadership team with expanded responsibilities in the combined organisation within the APAC region. All new appointments will be effective at the close of the acquisition:

• Matthew Harrison will continue in his role as Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand.
• Linda Liang will take up a new role as Head of China Strategy, overseeing the business of our wholly foreign owned enterprise (WFOE) in China as well as our joint venture company, Franklin Templeton Sealand Fund Management Co. Ltd.
• Isabella Chan will be appointed as Head of Hong Kong, with additional responsibility for the Taiwan business. Shannon Wang will continue as General Manager of Legg Mason Investments (Taiwan) Limited and report to Chan.
• For India, Sanjay Sapre will continue in his role as the President of Franklin Templeton Asset Management (India) Private Limited.
• In Japan, Suguru Kuwahata, currently President of Legg Mason Asset Management (Japan) Co. Ltd., and Tatsuya Oguchi, currently President of Franklin Templeton Investments Japan Ltd., will both report to Kudva and continue to develop the Japan business.
• For Korea, Yong-bae Jeon will continue in his role as President.
• Avinash Satwalekar will take up an expanded role as Country Head of Malaysia with additional responsibility for the oversight of Asia Marketing (ex-Japan and India). He will also continue to serve as Chairman of the Board for Vietcombank Fund Management (VCBF), a joint venture in Vietnam with Vietcombank.
• Dora Seow will take up an expanded role as Country Head of Singapore and the broader South East Asia region (ex-Malaysia and Vietnam) with additional responsibility for Asia Institutional Client Services.
• Richard Surrency, Head of Alternatives Sales, Asia, will continue in his role, focusing on growing the firm’s alternative business in the region.

Kudva commented, “I am delighted to be taking up my new role as Head of APAC for Franklin Templeton. Post the Legg Mason deal close, the combined entity will be well positioned to capitalise on the diverse growth opportunities that exist across the region. Our clients will benefit from the added capabilities across multiple world-class specialist investment organisations, and I look forward to working with my experienced leadership team to continue to deliver the exemplary service our clients expect from us.”

“The combination of our two distribution platforms will enhance organic growth in the region as we expand our presence in key markets such as Japan and Australia. In addition, we see tremendous growth potential in China as the country continues to further liberalise and open up its market,” added Kudva.

Following long and distinguished careers at Franklin Templeton, Mark Browning, Managing Director for Asia Pacific, and David Chang, Regional Head for Greater China, will both depart the firm. Andy Sowerby, currently CEO of Australia & New Zealand and Head of Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) for Legg Mason, has decided to leave the organisation. Browning, Chang and Sowerby will be staying on for a transitional period after the acquisition.

“We would like to thank Mark Browning, David Chang and Andy Sowerby for their dedicated service and invaluable contribution in building a strong franchise for Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason in the region,” said Johnson. “Moving forward, I am confident that our combined regional footprint led by Vivek will create a distribution powerhouse in the region, while significantly deepening our presence in key focus countries.”

The landmark acquisition of Legg Mason will establish Franklin Templeton as one of the world’s largest independent asset managers and will add differentiated capabilities to Franklin Templeton’s existing investment strategies, with modest overlap across multiple world-class specialist investment managers and distribution channels. The combined firm, with USD$1.4 trillion in assets under management, will bring added leadership and strength in core fixed income, active equities and alternatives—as well as an expansion of multi-asset solutions capabilities, a key growth area for the firm amid increasing client demand for comprehensive, outcome-oriented investment solutions.

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