Singapore wealth manager Lumen Capital Investors has hired a host of top bankers from larger rivals, finews.asia can reveal. The firm wants to further increase its reach.
Julius Baer's former boss in Asia, Wilfried Kofmehl, founded Lumen Capital Investors (Lumen) in 2010 and has spent the last eight years discreetly building up the new business. Conceived as a family office, the company offers traditional wealth management as well as trust, real estate and fiduciary advice. The firm's name is derived for the Latin term for «light».
In a move to expand the business, Lumen hired Michael Chin (pictured above), finews.asia can exclusively reveal.
More Than 20 Years With UBS
Prior to joining Lumen Capital Investors in December 2018, Chin spent 22 years in various locations and functions in UBS. He ran UBS Asset Management Singapore as CEO and Head of UBS Asset Management South East Asia from 2015 to 2018. He also chaired UBS Asset Management Hong Kong/Singapore Management & Risk Committee and was a member of UBS AM APAC Management Committee and UBS Group Singapore Management Committee.
Prior to moving to Singapore in 2015, Chin was CEO of UBS Hana Asset Management, the joint venture with Hana Financial Group in South Korea. Prior to this appointment in 2010, based in Hong Kong, he was responsible for managing UBS Investment Bank's Asian equity distribution business as Global Head of Asian Equity Sales and was a member of Global Cash Equity Management Committee.
Further Opening
Before this role which began in 2006, he was the Branch Manager and Head of Equities in Taiwan, having transferred in 2005 from his position as the Branch Manager and Head of Equities in Korea for UBS Investment Bank. «Michael Chin will act as a partner and shareholder, member of the management committee and his title will be ‹Vice Chairman›,» Kofmehl added.
The firm is seeking to further open itself up and has bulked up on bankers as a result. A couple of months back, Laurent Lequeu (pictured above) joined Lumen as head of portfolio management and member of the management committee. He used to be with Taurus Wealth Management in Singapore, RHB Asset Management, Singapore, and 12 years with Banque Privee Edmond de Rothchild, Luxembourg.
Industry Veteran
Finally, six weeks back, Elsie Chua joined the firm from EFG International to strengthen the operations team. She has been in the banking industry for over 20 years and she brings with her a wealth of experience, having worked for EFG Bank, Banque Internationale a Luxembourg, Coutts, Bank of Singapore, UBS. Prior to joining Lumen, Chua was an AVP at EFG Bank, Singapore Branch. She graduated from Curtin University of Technology, Perth Australia.
