Magazine issues » Summer 2012

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Final touches

DiamondsAs Hong Kong continues to attract vast amounts of wealth, businesses are lining up to play their part. Stefanie Eschenbacher visits the latest newcomer.

Interior design projects are yet to be completed on the sixth floor of Hong Kong’s fourth tallest and most distinctive skyscraper, the Bank of China Tower. There, the Bank of China (Hong Kong) is preparing for the launch of its private banking arm, scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year. And its final look is so shrouded in mystery that even the company logo is still hidden under a dust cover.

Wendy Tsang Kam Yin, managing director, head of private banking, is sitting in her new office, surrounded by designers who are adding the final touches.

“With global wealth shifting to Asia, especially China, this is a very natural development for Bank of China (Hong Kong) to extend our services to high-net-worth individuals,” she says. “Our private banking services will offer our clients a one-stop platform that combines traditional banking, corporate banking and investment banking services to meet the dynamic needs of this new generation of wealth.”

Hong Kong is where East meets West, promising opportunities for banking, investment and custody.

Extensive network
Tsang says the number of first or second-generation entrepreneurs in the region is growing and they are looking for more dynamic wealth management services, beyond wealth preservation. “There are quite a lot of overseas interests and opportunities driven by the internationalisation of the renminbi,” she says, adding that one of the services her team plans to offer will be helping clients to issue and distribute dim sum bonds.

Wang says the private banking arm plans to leverage on the parent company’s extensive network, which should help clients to grow their assets instead of only preserving them.

“We aim to capture the renminbi business investment potential and focus on the potential to satisfy the demand for renminbi products,” she says. “We see opportunities to grow our business in China and elsewhere in Asia.”

The launch of the private banking business will follow that of the asset management business and custody business.

When Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei designed the Bank of China Tower, he took inspiration from the elegant structure of bamboo – its sectioned trunk reaching higher and higher with each new spurt of growth.

©2012 funds global

Industry comments

Investing in tomorrow’s world

investmentAt times like these, HSBC Asset Management easily pivots towards emerging markets.

The spotlight on growth markets and the need to be nimble and dynamic is ever-sharper, given the difficulty in predicting monetary policy in the world’s major nations.

Sponsored feature: Navigating the complexities of FX execution and currency risk

A comprehensive, cost-effective, and transparent currency overlay hedging solution is crucial to mitigate FX exposure risks in the complex landscapes of Japan and China's FX markets, explains Hans Jacob Feder, PhD, global head of FX services at MUFG Investor Services.

Opinion

Transitioning to an era of scarcity

The world is transitioning from an era of commodity abundance to one of undersupply. Ben Ross and Tyler Rosenlicht of Cohen & Steers believe this shift may result in significant returns for commodities and resource producers over the next decade.

Asia credit: An outsized winner in the region’s energy transition?

Ross Dilkes, fixed income portfolio manager at Wellington Management, examines the opportunities and risks for bond investors presented by the region’s decarbonisation agenda.

A quiet revolution in Japan’s corporate governance

revolution, Japan, corporate governance, Shareholders, corporate, governance, standards, improvement, Tetsuro Takase, SuMi TrustShareholders in Japan no longer accept below-par corporate governance standards. Changes are taking place, but there are still areas for improvement, says Tetsuro Takase at SuMi Trust.

Why rising demand for healthcare is creating investment opportunities in China

rising demand, healthcare, investment, opportunities, China, Robert St Clair, Investment Strategy, Fullerton Fund ManagementRobert St Clair, head of investment strategy at Fullerton Fund Management, explores the reasons investors should be paying attention to the rising demand for healthcare in China.

Executive Interviews

Executive interview: PGIM CEO on where the ESG flowers should bloom

Sep 27, 2021

David Hunt, president and chief executive of PGIM, tells Romil Patel about leading a top 10 global asset manager in times where “empowering and encouraging the kind of investment decisions as...

Executive interview: Nicolas Moreau’s orderly transition

Jul 12, 2021

Nicolas Moreau, CEO of HSBC Asset Management, is moving to Asia as the firm looks to connect more directly with the region’s growth story. ESG is also a key focus – including the ‘just’ carbon...

Roundtables

India: An “obvious choice for global investors”

Jun 22, 2023

Funds Europe, the sister publication of Funds Global Asia, hosted an India investment discussion with two seasoned experts and asked if India is the ‘last one standing’ from the Brics phenomenon. We also hear that for India, the inclusion of Indian bonds in a major index may not be the desired...

Roundtable: Singapore comes of age as an Asian ESG hub

Dec 01, 2021

Strong ESG credentials strengthen the case for Singapore as a leader in Asia of the post-Covid recovery. Our panel discusses the risks and opportunities.