Published by Asian Investor – 24 Oct 2018
The Dutch fund house has added the Asian equity specialist to co-run institutional mandates, as well as an ex-BlackRock trader, but it is losing an equity analyst.
Robeco has brought in Asia equity specialist Joshua Crabb, formerly of Old Mutual Global Investors (OMGI), as senior portfolio manager, amid other changes to its investment team in Hong Kong.
Serene Tan also arrived this month as a desk trader in the city to replace Natalie Lo, who left in August. Tan previously worked as a trader at Amundi Pioneer and as an institutional dealer at OCBC Securities Private.
Meanwhile, equity analyst James Fan is leaving the firm after five years to pursue other opportunities, and Robeco will be seeking a
replacement, according to a client memo seen by AsianInvestor.
Crabb, the former head of Asia equities at OMGI (now Merian Global Investors), started with Robeco yesterday, reporting to Arnout van Rijn, Asia-Pacific chief investment officer.
Crabb will co-manage several institutional mandates and serve as back-up portfolio manager for the Asia-Pacific equities strategy. He will work on a team of generalist portfolio managers, who each focus on a number of sectors and countries according to a matrix setup. His focus will be on information technology and consumer discretionary stocks and in terms of geographies he will cover Korea, India and Asean.
Robeco’s Asia-Pacific team – across Hong Kong and Shanghai – now comprises nine portfolio managers, two research analysts, a client portfolio manager, an operational portfolio manager and an engagement specialist.
As of September 30, the team managed $7.8 billion in six strategies: Asia-Pacific equities, Pacific (developed) equities, Asia ex-Japan equities, Chinese equities, Chinese A-share equities and Indian equities.
Robeco’s global AUM of $192 billion is split 70% institutional and 30% retail, and in Asia, 77% institutional and 23% retail, a spokeswoman told AsianInvestor.
Crabb, who has worked in Hong Kong since 2001, left OMGI in May this year, when it shut down its Asian equity desk in the city. He had led the three-strong team, which also comprised Kris Whitlock and Taylor Connaughton. Asia head Carol Wong departed the firm soon after, though she joined Ping An Asset Management last month.
Crabb joined OMGI in 2014 from BlackRock and has also worked for Prudential Asset Management Hong Kong (now Eastspring Investments).
