WRISE Taiwan family wealth expansion is under way as the Singapore-based firm opens a new client service centre in Taipei to deepen coverage of a market where UHNW assets are expected to reach USD1.9tr by 2029. The WRISE Taiwan family wealth expansion will see the Xinyi District centre offer advisory and consultation services and host education and engagement programmes focused on intergenerational planning and next-generation dialogue. Group Executive Chairman Derrick Tan sa

Bank of Singapore has hired an alternatives specialist to strengthen its ultra-high-net-worth offering as demand for customised products rises across Asia’s private wealth market. The OCBC-backed private bank appointed Bernard Heng as head of customised solutions, effective March 2, according to a statement. Heng will report to Lim Leong Guan, global head of the investment solutions group, and will lead the development and execution of complex products tailored to UHNW client

UBS Hong Kong wealth hiring plans include about 50 new bankers for its wealth business after its North Asia franchise posted record revenue last year, with recruitment focused on high net-worth clients as the bank looks to broaden beyond its recent emphasis on billionaires, Asia-Pacific wealth co-head Amy Lo said. UBS brought in USD62.5bn of net new assets in Asia in 2025, helped by Hong Kong’s active IPO market and so-called win-back flows after the integration of Credit Sui

Macquarie Asset Management Asia wealth expansion gathered pace as the firm added three hires to grow its regional wealth business and push private market offerings to private banking and intermediary clients, the firm said. Wai Kin Leung joins as senior vice president, Asia wealth, focusing on Greater China and helping advance private market solutions; he most recently led managed solutions work at LGT Private Banking and previously worked at Pictet, Credit Suisse and HSBC. M

Blackstone Asia hiring plans are accelerating as the alternative asset manager looks to capture rising private market demand from individual investors, Ed Huang, its Asia-Pacific private wealth head, said. Blackstone has roughly doubled its regional team over the past two years and is expanding in Japan, adding staff in Australia and placing people on the ground in South Korea. Huang said the firm sees strong potential in offering private equity and private credit products to

Raffles Family Office has appointed former BNP Paribas banker Pradinan Arkarachinores as managing director for relationship management, strengthening its advisory capabilities for ultra-high-net-worth clients. The Singapore-based multi-family office said Arkarachinores will lead a team overseeing portfolios for Asian UHNW families, with a focus on relationship management, strategic advisory and the delivery of tailored wealth solutions. She will report to Kendrick Lee, the gr

Wisdom Group multi-family office has appointed banking and external asset management veteran Arthur Fong as managing director and senior adviser, strengthening leadership for its UHNW client base. Wisdom Group Holdings, a Hong Kong-based platform with about USD7bn in assets and a presence in Hong Kong and Singapore, describes itself as an independent asset management and multi-family office business serving ultra-high-net-worth families and their advisers. Fong said he joined

Fiera Capital is expanding Japan private markets distribution with a senior hire as it builds its local presence and targets institutional and family office investors. The Canadian asset manager said it has appointed Chinatsu Aoyama as director and private markets specialist in Japan, based in Tokyo, to support distribution of strategies across real estate debt and equity, natural capital, infrastructure, private credit and private equity. She reports to CJ Morrell, managing

HSBC Private Bank is bolstering its Asia wealth planning capabilities through a series of senior hires aimed at deepening client coverage and advisory strength. HSBC Private Bank said it expanded its Global India coverage team in Singapore by appointing Phaneendar Bhavaraju and Rangan Krishnan as senior relationship managers reporting to Manoj Ramarao, senior desk head for Global India in Singapore and Hong Kong. Bhavaraju brings more than 28 years of experience across privat

UBS has made a strategic UBS APAC wealth management hire, appointing a senior investment strategist from HSBC to strengthen its Asia-Pacific advisory capabilities as global banks compete for talent amid volatile markets. The wealth management arm of UBS has named James Cheo to its chief investment office for APAC, covering Southern Asia and Australia, effective March 30, according to an internal memo. In his new role, Cheo will deliver investment content and client coverage a

Hong Kong Investment Funds Association (HKIFA) CEO appointment sees the industry body name Paula Ip, a former UBS Global Wealth Management executive, as chief executive officer with immediate effect. Ip brings more than 30 years of experience in asset management and wealth advisory and most recently served as a managing director at UBS Global Wealth Management overseeing fund advisory and distribution across North Asia. She previously held senior roles at UBS, GAM, ING and J.

Family office talent crunch pressures are intensifying despite generous compensation, with nearly eight in 10 family offices struggling to hire staff, according to a survey by AlTi Tiedemann Global and Campden Wealth cited by Niccolò M. Mottola of Marcus Evans Group. Polling 146 offices, the study found 79% faced recruitment difficulties and 54% were concerned about retention, rising to 92% among offices managing more than USD1bn. Average chief investment officer pay was abou

Japan M&A boom momentum is prompting Citigroup to expand its investment banking team in the country by 30% by the first half of 2026, aiming to capture deal activity involving Japanese companies that has reached about USD350bn this year, the highest since records began in 1998. Japan vice-chair Masuo Fukuda said governance reforms have made corporate boards more shareholder-focused, driving divestments of non-core assets and overseas expansion, while hostile bids, private equ

HSBC has appointed veteran wealth manager Ida Liu as chief executive of its private banking business, strengthening leadership as global competition for ultra-high-net-worth clients intensifies. Liu will take up the role as CEO of HSBC Private Bank on Jan.5, 2026, reporting to Barry O’Byrne, CEO of HSBC International Wealth and Premier Banking. HSBC said Liu will focus on deepening relationships with ultra-wealthy clients, strengthening cross-border connectivity along major w

Nomura Asset Management is expanding its international trainee program as it plans to relocate dozens of staff from its Tokyo headquarters to overseas hubs, including London and New York, to strengthen investment and sales capabilities and deepen its pool of globally trained professionals. The initiative comes as Japan’s regulator has flagged competitiveness gaps among domestic asset managers, even as reforms to tax-free NISA accounts draw more households into investing. Nomu

Japan’s Daiwa Securities Group will make a minority investment of about JPY5bn(USD32m) in Ambit Wealth, strengthening the Daiwa Ambit Wealth investment partnership in India’s fast-expanding wealth sector, the Nikkei reported. Ambit Wealth, which serves ultra-high-net-worth clients and family offices, had assets under management and advice nearing USD10bn as of 31 March 2025, according to Daiwa. Daiwa said it aims to share its portfolio-strategy and marketing expertise with Am

Citigroup has appointed Yuko Nakayama as head of equity capital markets for its Japan investment banking franchise, strengthening its Japan equity capital markets franchise as competition intensifies for dealmaking talent. Effective immediately, Nakayama will lead the Japan ECM team and report to Taiji Nagasaka and Akira Kiyota, with matrix reporting to Harish Raman and Kenneth Chow. Nakayama previously worked at Citi from 2009 to 2015 before moving to Goldman Sachs and later

Citi FX hires Asia continue to increase, with seven senior sales and trading specialists joining since September as the bank targets rising FX flows and deeper client engagement. New hires include Manoj Goel to lead corporate FX sales for the India sub‑continent; Cassalynne Lou in Singapore corporate FX; Yusuke Aita in Tokyo and Renee Gao in Hong Kong for institutional coverage; Matthew Lim in Singapore for institutional FX; and traders Nicky Lam and Jonathan Chua for G10 opt

Singapore CEO tenure continues to exceed global norms, with Straits Times Index leaders averaging 8.8 years in office in Q3 2025, compared with the worldwide average of 7.2 years, Russell Reynolds Associates reported. Hong Kong CEOs averaged 3.7 years, while Asia‑Pacific overall slipped to 5.9 years as boards demand greater agility amid regulatory and market shifts. More than four in five new CEO appointments in the region came from internal promotions, versus seven in ten gl

UBS Singapore leadership has been strengthened with the appointment of Kwa Chong Seng as chairman for Singapore and Southeast Asia, effective December 1. The veteran executive will report to APAC president and global wealth co‑president Iqbal Khan, working closely with regional chairman Edmund Koh and Singapore head Jin Yee Young. Kwa has chaired major firms including SGX, ST Engineering, Olam International and MediaCorp, and previously served as deputy chair of Temasek Holdi