London-based insurance broker and advisory firm Willis Towers Watson has expanded its Asia investments team by a third to further strengthen its integrated solutions in advisory and delegated investment services. This is to meet the increasing client demand for practical investment advice and portfolio management solutions in the region, and will further expand the suite of services offered to clients, the firm says.
Institutional investors across the region are actively reviewing their portfolios and seeking advice to create investment models that are sufficiently dynamic to withstand post-pandemic economic norms. Additionally, there is growing interest in a range of alternative investments and private markets solutions. According to the company, embedding environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles into investment strategies, achieving net-zero targets and preparing for upcoming reporting initiatives, have led firms to pursue a more holistic and agile approach to their investments, people and business models.
Jayne Bok, head of investments for Asia at Willis Towers Watson, says: “Asia has always been an important market for us, and we are responding to the growing demand from our existing pension and sovereign wealth fund clients, as well as from insurance companies, endowments and family offices by investing further in the region. Hiring new talent and strengthening our team’s capabilities across diverse dimensions reflects our commitment to helping clients achieve sustainable and better investment outcomes and maintain their competitive edge. We are very excited to welcome all our new joiners to the team.”
The new appointments enlarge the company’s expertise across several asset classes and services, including investing in China. Based in Hong Kong, the new colleagues include: Liang Yin, director of manager research, private equity and China specialist, who has recently transferred to Hong Kong from Thinking Ahead Institute in the United Kingdom; Eleanor Wang, associate, who joins the manager research team; Raymond Kwong, director, and Jason Zeall, associate director, who both join the client consulting team, along with two associates who will also join the team in October.
