Asset manager Blue Orchard is widening its presence in Asia, with a new office in Singapore. The Swiss firm is banking on a greater appetite from Asian investors for sustainable and impact investing.
The Zurich-based specialist asset manager is adding to its Asian presence by opening an office in Singapore, following the launch of a Phnom Penh branch eight years ago.
Blue Orchard, which counts former Julius Baer boss Boris Collardi among its board members, is counting on increased demand from Asia's wealthy for sustainable investing. While interest has perked up in recent years with new entrants in the market, the region's wealthy have until now held back on moving in aggressively, according to a recent study.
The Singapore office will be led by Pierrick Balmain (pictured below), who plans to kickstart hiring after moving from Geneva to the city-state this month, a spokeswoman told finews.asia. Blue Orchard said it views Singapore as a hub for the type of sustainable and impact investing it specializes in.
«The Asia-Pacific impact investing market is growing and increasingly addresses societal and environmental challenges,» the firm said in a statement. «Due to its central location and outstanding infrastructure, Singapore is well positioned to become an impact investing hub in Asia-Pacific.»
Presided by Peter Fanconi, the former head of Vontobel's private bank head, Blue Orchard has invested more than $5 billion in roughly 80 emerging markets in order to foster social and environmental improvements. Its funds address 13 of the United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals.
Balmain, the Singapore head, has been with Blue Orchard since 2015 as head of business development in Asia. Previously, he worked for J.P. Morgan's asset management arm and began his career as the co-founder of a consulting firm for valuing small- and mid-sized businesses.
