Asia people moves: Credit Suisse strengthens China mainland JV, new BNP Apac head, and more

Credit Suisse has strengthened its securities joint venture on the Chinese mainland, Credit Suisse Founder Securities, with a few key appointments. Tim Tu becomes chief executive officer (CEO) of the CSFS, whilst current CEO Minsheng Wang has been appointed vice-chairman of the joint venture. In addition, Daniel Qiu will take on the newly created role of head of investment banking and capital markets for CSFS. Tu joined Credit Suisse in 2016 from Standard Chartered Bank as head of structuring for Greater China in the bank’s Asia Pacific Financing Group. Wang has more than 25 years’ experience in China’s financial industry across investment banking and brokerage businesses. He joined CSFS in 2009, and was appointed CEO of the joint venture in 2014. Qiu has been with Credit Suisse since 2010, and has more than 20 years of investment banking experience.

The Swiss bank has also appointed Emmanuel Triomphe as head of Asia Pacific Trading Solutions Sales and Advisory. He will be based in Hong Kong and report to Yves-Alain Sommerhalder, head of Asia-Pacific (Apac) trading solutions, with a dotted reporting line to Francois Monnet and Benjamin Cavalli, head of private banking for north and south Asia respectively. Triomphe has 20 years’ experience in private banking, with a focus on managing trading solutions businesses across multiple asset classes, including direct access clients. He joins the Swiss bank from UBS Wealth Management, where he was the head of global capital markets for structured products, as well as head of Apac global markets specialists across equity, fixed income, foreign exchange and direct access.

Deutsche Bank has appointed Alexander von zur Mühlen as head of its Asian business. He is to replace Werner Steinmüller, who will retire at the end of July. Unlike his predecessor, von zur Mühlen will be based in Singapore, rather than Hong Kong. The German bank has a large presence in both jurisdictions. Von zur Mühlen has had a long and wide-ranging career at Deutsche Bank, having joined in 1998 after studying business management. Following a variety of roles in investment banking – lastly as co-head of debt capital markets in Europe – he was appointed group treasurer in 2009. He was appointed co-head of global capital markets in 2017, and became head of group strategy in 2018.

Global custodian BNP Paribas Securities Services has appointed Franck Dubois as regional head of Asia-Pacific, who will be based in Hong Kong. Dubois has worked at the company since 1993 in a variety of roles. He was most recently head of France and Belgium for Securities Services. He replaces Mostapha Tahiri, who is joining State Street.

Global advisory firm Willis Towers Watson has appointed Fabien Conderanne as regional head of financial solutions for Asia-Pacific. He replaces Stuart Ashworth, who has been promoted to the global role of head of sales, innovation and client management in financial solutions within the corporate risk and broking business. Conderanne joined Willis Towers Watson in 2017 as deputy head of financial solutions for Asia-Pacific. Before that, he spent 16 years at trade credit insurer Coface, including five years as chief executive officer in Singapore and four years as regional chief financial officer for Asia-Pacific. He headed up the investment department in Coface head office in France, before moving over to Asia-Pacific.

Natixis Investment Managers has appointed Herman Chan as head of institutional sales for Hong Kong and Macau. Based in Hong Kong, Chan will report to Gina Huang, managing director and head of China. Chan has more than 12 years of financial services experience, most recently as vice-president of strategy and business development at PineBridge Investments. Prior to that, he spent time with several global financial brands, including HSBC, UBS, PwC and KPMG.

Hong Kong law firm Deacons has appointed Helen Liao as a partner, bringing the total number of partners to 54. Liao joined the firm in 2017. Previously, she worked as a senior editor for an international online legal know-how service provider. Before that, she had been in private practice for nearly 10 years in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing and Hong Kong at the offices of both international and top-tier mainland China law firms.

AIA’s former group head of digital, Lo Wing Yiu, has joined DBS Hong Kong as head of bancassurance. Yiu replaces Terry Li, who spent four years with the business. Yiu was previously head of bancassurance at Standard Chartered Bank. Before that, he held various senior management positions, including head of insurance development, Asia-Pacific, at HSBC Insurance, and Axa Hong Kong’s head of individual life products and head of strategic and business development, bancassurance and corporate solutions.