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Key people

    Head of the Americas

    Matthew is Managing Director, Head of the Americas business for Eastspring Investments, and is based in Chicago.

    Matthew’s key responsibilities are to grow the institutional businesses in the Americas and to manage the firm’s expansion there. Specifically, he focuses on sub-advisory, private banks, pensions, endowments and foundations, and investment consultants.

    Matthew has more than 30 years of financial services experience and was previously head of product and distribution at RBC Global Asset management where he was charged with growing the US business in all channels for RBC. Before that he was head of global distribution at Old Mutual Asset Management where he led teams establishing and managing relationships with major institutional and retail investors around the globe. Prior to that, Matthew had a leadership role in the consultant relations group of Fidelity Investments Institutional business. Matthew started his career with Coopers and Lybrand first as an auditor and then in their consulting practice.

    Matthew holds a BBA in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst® and a Certified Public Accountant.

    Director, Institutional Business Development, Eastspring Investments, Americas

    Craig joined Eastspring Investments as Director, Institutional Business Development in January 2021. Craig’s focus is to assist in the development of the Eastspring brand and growing institutional assets under management. Based in Chicago, Craig works with institutional asset owners, investment consultants, and select wealth/RIA and sub-advisory platforms in the Americas.

    Craig brings more than 25 years experience in institutional asset management and business development. Before joining Eastspring, he was Senior Director, Institutional Client Development with Aegon Asset Management U.S.  He also has held senior roles with Evanston Capital Management, Calamos Advisors, Columbia Management, and Fidelity Investments.

    Craig completed his undergraduate studies at the Peter T. Paul College of Economics & Business at the University of New Hampshire, with a B.S. in Business Administration.  He holds FINRA Series 6, 7, & 63 licenses, as well as the NFA Series 3 license, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst® and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).

    Client Services and Sales Support

    Brian joined Eastspring Investments in May 2020. He manages client services and sales support for the firm in the Americas.

    Based in Chicago, Brian assists in the growth of the firm’s client base across all of the Americas channels, including institutional asset owners, investment consultants, sub-advisory platforms, professional buyer and retail investors.

    Brian is an experienced institutional sales professional with more than 10 years of industry experience. He joined Eastspring from Heitman, a global real estate investment manager, where he was an Assistant Vice President within the firm’s Client Service & Marketing Group. Prior to this role, Brian held various client service and accounting roles within Heitman during his 10 years at the firm.

    Brian holds a BSc and Masters in Accountancy and Finance from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He also has a Series 7 - General Securities Registered Representative license.

    Chief Compliance & Governance Officer, Eastspring Investments, Americas

    Brian is Chief Compliance & Governance Officer at Eastspring Investments and is based in Chicago. His focus is on the administration of all aspects of the firm’s compliance and governance program – including liaison with regulators and developing, overseeing, and maintaining compliance policies in the Americas.

    Brian has more than 30 years’ investment adviser, mutual fund, and broker dealer compliance experience. He began his career as an examiner with the Chicago Stock Exchange and then served as compliance officer before becoming a CCO for institutional investment advisers. Brian joined Eastspring in September 2019 from Northern Trust, where he was the Chief Compliance Officer for Northern Trust Funds and Northern Trust FlexShares ETFs.

    Brian earned his BA in political science from Iowa State University and also holds an ABA paralegal graduate certificate from Roosevelt University. He is a certified fraud examiner.

    Chief Executive Officer

    Wai-Kwong Seck is Chief Executive Officer of Eastspring Investments, the asset management business of Prudential Corporation Asia, part of Prudential plc of the UK.

    He oversees the management of USD193 billion of assets (as at 31 December 2018), with responsibility for growing the business, deepening the investment capabilities, and expanding the firm’s global and local retail and institutional client base. Wai-Kwong chairs the Eastspring Investments Executive Committee and sits on the Board of Prudential Corporation Asia.

    Wai-Kwong joined Eastspring in April 2019 from State Street Bank and Trust Company, where he was Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific, overseeing 17 geographical markets.

    Prior to joining State Street in 2011, Wai-Kwong was Chief Financial Officer of the Singapore Exchange for eight years. His professional career had been focused primarily on wealth management and investment banking, having held senior-level positions in the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), Lehman Brothers and DBS Bank.

    Wai-Kwong is a board member of the GIC. He is also chairman of the Investment Committee and a Trustee at the Singapore Police Force’s pension fund. He chairs the Future Leaders Council at the Wealth Management Institute of Nanyang Technology Institute and serves on both the Board of Regents of Trinity International University in Chicago and as a member of the Global Advisory Board of Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. Wai-Kwong is also a member of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s Business School Advisory Council and a Governor of the Singapore International School in Hong Kong.

    Wai-Kwong earned a Master of Business Administration with Distinction (with a major in finance) from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a Bachelor of Economics with first-class honors from Australia’s Monash University, where he is a Vice-Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow and serves on the Monash Philanthropy Council. On Singapore’s National Day in 2017, the Republic awarded him the Public Service Medal.

    Chief Financial Officer

    Francis Woo joined Eastspring Investments, the Asian asset management business of Prudential plc, as Chief Financial Officer, in January 2020.

    Francis is responsible for the financial management of the business, working closely with the regional support teams. He is a member of the Eastspring Management Committee.

    Prior to joining Eastspring, Francis was Chief Financial Officer, Asia for TPG Capital Asia, where he oversaw the firm’s profitability and the performance of its investments in Asia. He also focused on investment opportunities in Southeast Asia as Managing Director.

    Francis has spent over eleven years in investment banking. Before joining TPG Capital Asia in 2012, he was Co-Head of Corporate Finance for Southeast Asia at Credit Suisse Group AG. His investment banking experience includes time in New York with UBS Investment Bank and Credit Suisse First Boston.

    Francis holds an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.

    Chief Risk Officer

    Gwee Siew Ping joined Eastspring Investments, the Asian asset management business of Prudential plc, as Chief Risk Officer, in 2013.

    She is responsible for Legal, Risk & Compliance across the 11 markets in which Eastspring Investments operate.

    Before joining Eastspring Investments, Siew Ping worked at Schroders, where she was Regional Head of Compliance and Risk, Asia Pacific. She was also a member of the Board of Directors of a number of the Schroder entities incorporated in Singapore including the asset management and the merchant bank entities. She joined Schroders in 1997 and held several senior compliance roles within the firm. Prior to Schroders, she was an Internal Auditor at Swiss Bank Corporation and JP Morgan respectively, leading audits in the Global Markets and Emerging Markets Treasury audits across Asia Pacific.

    In 2009, Siew Ping was awarded the Distinguished Financial Industry Certified Professional certification in Compliance - Fund Management by the Institute of Banking and Finance.

    Siew Ping holds a MBA awarded by the University of Manchester (Manchester Business School) and a Bachelor of Accountancy Degree from the National University of Singapore. She is also professionally qualified as a Chartered Accountant of Singapore by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants.

    Chief Operating Officer
    Jeroen Buwalda joined Eastspring Investments, the Asian asset management business of Prudential plc, in January 2017 to lead a 3-year strategic transformation program across Eastspring. In January 2019 Jeroen was appointed Chief Operating Officer. He is responsible for investment operations, IT, data and administrative support for the organisation, as well as other strategic growth and change initiatives. Jeroen has 20 years’ experience driving innovative change for wealth managers, fund managers and banks across Europe and Asia Pacific. Prior to joining Eastspring, he was a partner at Ernst and Young (“EY”) in Hong Kong and the lead for EY’s Asia-Pacific Wealth & Asset Management Advisory practice focusing on corporate strategy, enterprise architecture and large-scale IT enabled transformation programs. Prior to EY, Jeroen was an executive at BT Financial Group (part of Westpac Banking Corporation) leading product development and various integration and transformation programs across private banking, financial advice and wealth distribution businesses. Jeroen holds a Master of Science, Economics from Erasmus University of Rotterdam.
    Chief Human Resources Officer

    Cynthia Tan is Chief Human Resources Officer at Eastspring Investments, the asset management business of Prudential Corporation Asia and part of Prudential plc of the UK.
    She is a member of the Eastspring Executive Committee and has responsibility for developing and executing a people and culture plan that will support the firm’s growth in the long-term.
    Cynthia has more than 20 years of human resources experience in the banking and finance sector across Asia. Prior to joining Eastspring Investments, she worked at ING Bank in Singapore where, for more than 10 years, she was head of HR for Asia Pacific for the retail and wholesale bank.
    During her time at ING, Cynthia led the HR integration of TMB in Thailand, initiating cultural change activities and supporting transformation initiatives across Asia. Prior to ING, Cynthia held HR roles at Standard Chartered Bank and the Government of Singapore Investment Corp.
    Cynthia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Sociology from the National University of Singapore. She also has a graduate diploma in personnel management from the Singapore Institute of Management.

    Head of Distribution
    Xavier Meyer joined Eastspring Investments in 2014 as Head of Product Strategy and Development before assuming his current role. As Head of Distribution, Xavier is responsible for all distribution activities across Eastspring. In this role he oversees the product and life relationship functions, the institutional and retail sales strategies, client relationship management and marketing. Prior to joining Eastspring, Xavier worked for thirteen years with BNP Paribas in Europe and Asia (Seoul & Hong Kong), in product, investment & business development functions. He was APAC Head of Product Development and Strategic Marketing for BNP Paribas Investment Partners from 2012 to 2014, and Managing Director for Shinhan BNP Paribas between 2009 and 2012. Xavier holds a Master’s degree in Economics & Finance from Sciences Po Paris and a Master’s degree from NEOMA Business School.
    Executive Chairman of TMBAM Eastspring and Executive Chairman of Thanachart Fund Eastspring

    Bernard Teo is Executive Chairman of TMBAM Eastspring and Thanachart Fund Eastspring. He is a member of the Eastspring Management Committee.

    Bernard also oversees Eastspring’s three joint ventures – ICICI-Pru, CITIC-Pru and BOCI-Pru – and the development of Eastspring’s wholly foreign-owned enterprise in China. This sees him focus on maximising growth opportunities in the India and China markets.

    Bernard joined Eastspring as Head of Corporate Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions in September 2016 and led the acquisition of a 65% stake in TMB Asset Management in September 2018 and the acquisition of a 50.1% stake in Thanachart Fund in 2019.

    He took up his current role in August 2019, with responsibility for integrating TMBAM Eastspring and Thanachart Fund Eastspring into the broader Eastspring business.

    Prior to Eastspring, Bernard worked in the investment banking industry, focusing on financial institutions. He spent 12 years at Goldman Sachs, where he was a Managing Director and Co–Chief Operating Officer of Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) for the Financial Institutions Group (FIG) and Head of China FIG. Bernard was responsible for clients in Greater China and South East Asia and co-managed a group of 50 APxJ FIG bankers.   Before this, Bernard was with Lehman Brothers/Nomura International, where he was Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the Financial Institutions Group in the Investment Banking Division. 

    Bernard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University.

    Chief Executive Officer, Singapore and Hong Kong / Regional Fixed Income Officer

    Boon Peng Ooi joined Eastspring Investments, the Asian asset management business of Prudential plc, in July 2007.

    Boon Peng is the Chief Executive Officer of Eastspring Singapore and Eastspring Hong Kong. As CEO of Eastspring Singapore, Boon Peng is responsible for the Singapore office, which serves as Eastspring’s central hub. He also assumes the role of Regional Fixed Income Officer, which entails working closely with the CIO, Eastspring Investments, in the strategic development and growth of our Fixed Income capabilities across the region.

    Prior to joining Eastspring Investments, Boon Peng was Chief Investment Officer and Executive Director at UOB Asset Management, Alternative Investments, where he was responsible for the business and investment management of CDOs and credit assets. Prior to joining UOB AM, he was Head of Fixed Income at Fullerton Fund Management Company. There, he oversaw the management of fixed income investments in developed and emerging bond markets. Boon Peng also spent 15 years of his career with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) where he worked in various areas of the Reserves Management Department, including seven years managing funds out of the MAS New York Office.

    Boon Peng has more than 30 years of investment experience. In 2014, Boon Peng was conferred the title of “IBF Fellow” by the Institute of Banking and Finance of Singapore. This honour is aimed at recognising industry veterans who have demonstrated mastery of a profession and exemplify thought leadership and commitment to industry development. He was also named CIO of the Year in Asia Asset Management’s Best of the Best Regional Awards for 2014 and 2015.

    Boon Peng holds a Bachelor of Science (Building) (Hons) degree from National University of Singapore and is a CFA charterholder.