SooHai Lim, managing director and head of Asia equities ex-China with Barings, will relocate from Hong Kong to lead the firm's newly opened office in Singapore.
The office — Barings' sixth in the region after Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Sydney and Shanghai — will give the firm better access to banks and institutional investors in Singapore, while "putting us closer to the companies" in Southeast Asia the firm invests in, Mr. Lim said in a news release.
Mike Freno, Barings chairman and CEO, in the news release predicted the Singapore office will prove an important gateway for additional investment opportunities in Southeast Asia and help Barings' team better serve existing clients and establish new relationships.
The office opens with four investment professionals and plans to expand in the coming years.
Charlotte, NC-based Barings had more than $354 billion in assets under management as of Sept. 30.
