NUVEEN, the $1 trillion global investment manager of TIAA, has made a raft of new appointments and strengthened its Asia Pacific leadership team as it eyes further growth in the region.
The new hires join the Hong Kong and Sydney offices and span client services, fund management and sales.
Throughout the investment teams, Jing Zhou joins as senior director in the alternatives and strategic transactions team, data centre solutions, YoungJee Jang has taken on the role of associate in the fund management team, Anthea Trazzera will be a senior associate supporting transactional activity in the Australian market, and Carmen Hawkey joins as an associate in the Asia Pacific real estate debt team.
In Australia, Andrew Kleinig will take on expanded responsibilities as the head of the Australian office in addition to continuing to oversee the growth of Nuveen’s capital base via new and existing capital partners across equities, fixed income and private markets.
“Despite a year which saw significant disruption from COVID-19, we are proud to be able to continue to expand the Nuveen team to better service our growing base of both institutional and private clients in the Asia Pacific region,” said Simon England-Brammer, head of Nuveen Asia Pacific.
Hoping to maximise mixed-use opportunities that will emerge in a post-Covid-19 world, Nuveen has also announced a renewed leadership line-up in Asia Pacific, for its real estate platform. Hong Kong-based Louise Kavanagh will take on the dual role of head of funds management and CIO for Asia Pacific, overseeing the Nuveen real estate business in the region, and Rick Marston will assume the title of head of Australian transactions with an additional regional office sector role.
Distribution efforts in the region will be supported by Denise Ying’s appointed as vice president, international advisory services, responsible for supporting institutional clients in the Greater China region, and Betty Zhang and Mia Yang joining as assistant vice presidents in client services.
Both will report to Kelvin Cheung, Nuveen’s managing director and COO, Asia Pacific and Middle East.
Nuveen achieved total committed client inflows of more than US$8 billion in Asia Pacific and Middle East during 2020, doubling its annual target of US$4 billion. The firm has grown its assets under management in the region to nearly US$30 billion, from US$6 billion since 2016.
Nuveen has been steadily attracting investment to its Asia Pacific Cities strategy, which owns assets across Japan, Australia and South Korea in the logistics, residential and office sectors, with a weighting towards logistics.
In May last year, it sold off its 75% stake in Brisbane’s Mt Ommaney sub-regional shopping centre for $285 million to joint owners YFG Shopping Centres.
Nuveen also owns a share of Myer’s Bourke Street department store in Melbourne, and has been shopping around a half-interest in North Sydney’s 101 Miller Street and Greenwood Plaza.
