Manulife Hong Kong-Macau Names CEO- #Wealth #AssetManagement #AssetFinance
Manulife Hong Kong‑Macau announced that Wilton Kee will replace Patrick Graham as chief executive officer on July 1. Kee, a Manulife veteran since 2013, has held senior roles in pricing, product development, health services, and finance across the two markets. He most recently served as chief financial officer and, since March 2026, as deputy CEO, driving strategic initiatives. Steve Finch, Manulife Asia president, said the appointment reinforces disciplined execution, a diversified business model, and long‑term customer commitment in one of the insurer’s largest Asian markets.
AIIB, ADB, StanChart Back Uzbekistan Wind Farm- #BeltAndRoad #Economy #Infrastructure
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has approved a $107 million loan to Acwa for the Bash 2 wind power plant in Uzbekistan’s Bukhara region. The 300‑megawatt project, co‑financed by the Asian Development Bank and Standard Chartered, will generate roughly 943 GWh annually, powering...
Brookfield to Acquire Air Freight Services Provider WFC- #CapitalMarkets #Finance
Brookfield Asset Management announced it will acquire World Freight Company (WFC), the world’s largest general sales and service agent for air cargo. WFC connects more than 300 airlines with 16,000 freight forwarders across 3,500 trade lanes in over 80 countries....
Biotech Melazyme Closes US$2 Million Seed Funding Round-
Melazyme, a US precision‑fermentation startup, closed a $2 million seed round led by SeaX Ventures, with Stellaris and Plug and Play participating. The capital will fund scale‑up of its proprietary biomolecule platform and early commercial rollout, especially in cosmetics using melanin‑based...
Henderson Land Closes Hong Kong?s First Biodiversity Loans- #BeltAndRoad #Economy #Infrastructure
Henderson Land Development closed Hong Kong’s first biodiversity loan, syndicated by HSBC and Hang Seng Bank, to fund ecological upgrades at its Central Yards mixed‑use project. The loan follows the Green Loan Principles of the LMA, APLMA and LSTA, earmarking funds...
Sustainable Infrastructure Awards 2026: Robust Deal Flow Drives Project Finance- #BeltAndRoad #Economy #Infrastructure
The 2026 Sustainable Infrastructure Awards highlighted a record‑high flow of project‑finance deals in 2025 across renewables, digital infrastructure and traditional energy. Notable transactions include the Sizewell C nuclear plant’s $6.85 billion debt package under the UK’s Regulated Asset Base model, a $2 billion...
Jica Signs ODA for Phnom Penh Flood Protection- #BeltAndRoad #Economy #Infrastructure
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed an official development assistance loan with the Cambodian government to fund flood protection and drainage upgrades in Phnom Penh. The initiative will build new drainage channels and rehabilitate existing infrastructure to curb flood...
Moody?s Raises Vietnam Outlook to Positive on Reform Gains- #CapitalMarkets #Finance #Treasury #Finance
Moody’s Investors Service upgraded Vietnam’s sovereign outlook to positive while affirming its Ba2 rating. The agency cited accelerating institutional reforms—such as ministry mergers and streamlined regulations—that are expected to improve credit quality. Vietnam posted 7.0% GDP growth in 2024 and...
South Korean Economy Highly Exposed to US Ally Gone Rogue- #CapitalMarkets #Finance
South Korea’s economy, heavily reliant on exports and energy imports, faces heightened risk from President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade and security policies. The United States has kept tariffs at 15% after Seoul committed to invest roughly $350 billion in the U.S.,...
Citi Appoints M&A India Head- #CapitalMarkets #Finance
Citi has appointed Raj Rathi as head of its merger and acquisition business in India, effective June, with responsibility for digital infrastructure, electronic manufacturing services and select B2B commerce firms. Rathi arrives from Dream Sports, where he led strategy and...
AI Productivity Growth Limited by Data Verification Bottleneck-
AI’s promise of a new productivity surge is hitting a verification bottleneck, according to Oxford economist Carl Benedikt Frey. While headline labor productivity rose 1.8% in Q4 2025, a Fed‑San Francisco measure shows only 0.2% growth, reflecting the time spent...
Visa Launches Agentic Ready Payments Programme in HK-
Visa has introduced its Agentic Ready payments programme in Hong Kong, targeting the emerging market of AI‑driven, agent‑initiated commerce. The first phase focuses on issuer readiness, offering a production‑grade environment for banks to test token, identity, and risk controls. An inaugural...
Bank of Singapore Appoints Family Office, Structuring Head- #Wealth #AssetManagement #AssetFinance
Bank of Singapore has appointed Elvin Ho as head of family office and structuring solutions, effective May 4. Ho arrives from JPMorgan Private Bank, where he advised ultra‑high‑net‑worth clients on multi‑jurisdictional tax and estate matters, after a 19‑year tenure at UBS....
.jpg)
RBC BlueBay Names Hong Kong Product Strategist- #Wealth #AssetManagement #AssetFinance
RBC BlueBay Asset Management has appointed Mark Baker as a product strategist based in Hong Kong. He will support business development and client service across Asia ex‑Japan, acting as the technical subject‑matter expert for the firm’s full investment product suite. Baker...
Asia Tightens Grip on Global Wealth as UHNWI Ranks Swell- #Wealth #AssetManagement #AssetFinance
Knight Frank's Wealth Report shows ultra‑high‑net‑worth individuals (UHNWIs) increased by 162,000 between 2021 and 2026, pushing the global total above 713,000. Asia‑Pacific now accounts for nearly 31% of the UHNW population, with China remaining the second‑largest wealth hub. India’s ultra‑wealthy...