Andrea Muller has taken on the role of executive director-head of international distribution at Principal Global Investors which was previously held by Kirk West. West moves into the newly created role of executive director-head of international offices, assuming responsibility for all the international offices of Principal Global Investors outside the US, and CEO of Asia.

Muller will assume responsibility for all sales, relationship management and client service activities in Asia-Pacific (including Japan and Australia), Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. She will relocate from Singapore to the US.

Muller joined Principal Global Investors in 2010 as Asia CEO. She has been instrumental in the growth of the firm in Asia and the Middle East and has continued to build the asset management aspects of Principal International's joint ventures in China and Malaysia. Prior to joining the firm, Muller held leadership positions with large multinational firms, including head of Asia-Pacific at Fitch Ratings, managing director at UBS in both Singapore and France, and European partner at Shearman and Sterling.

West's new head of international role has been created to help address the complexity of managing a global asset management platform, and to provide additional senior management bandwidth outside the US after a multi-year period of growth at Principal Global Investors. The firm's regional CEOs will report directly to West. Together they will focus on ensuring best practices across all business functions in the pursuit of delivering appropriate investment solutions and service to clients, and to support the firm's multi-boutique investment platform.

For more than 15 years, West has held a number of important roles with Principal Global Investors. He joined Bankers Trust Australia (BT) in 1988 and the Principal Financial Group in 1999 through its acquisition of the BT Funds Management Business. Prior roles with the firm have included: managing director of Asia (ex Japan), CEO of the Australian business, and CEO of the European business.