Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management (SMTAM) has appointed Akiyoshi Nagashima as Chief Investment Officer (CIO). Based in Tokyo, Mr Nagashima will also be responsible for product development at the firm.
Mr Nagashima’s appointment follows the restructure of SMTAM on 1October 2018, when Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group (SuMi TRUST) merged its retail and institutional asset management businesses. The new entity, SMTAM, became Asia’s largest asset management company, with over USD 550 billion assets under management (as of end of December 2018).
Prior to his new role, Mr Nagashima heads the equity investment department of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank for over three years. He began his career at Sumitomo Trust & Banking in 1986, where he was responsible for asset-liability management, risk management and capital allocation of the bank’s proper account. Mr Nagashima has extensive experience in providing Liability Driven Investment (LDI) solutions to clients and fostering client relationships with a number of Japanese public pension funds, including the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), the world’s biggest pension fund.
Akiyoshi Nagashima, CIO and Managing Executive Officer at SMTAM, said: “The focus of our reorganization has not only been to provide our clients with a comprehensive and high-quality offering to meet their changing needs, but also to allow us to expand our client base internationally. As the largest asset management company in Asia, SMTAM is well positioned to extend its global outreach and position. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that we continue to drive growth while nurturing our strong relationships with existing clients.”