AXA Rosenberg Group has appointed Mikifumi Watanabe as chief executive officer of AXA Rosenberg Investment Management Limited (Japan). Watanabe-san will replace Bruno Guilloton, who having completed his five-year assignment as chief executive officer of AXA Rosenberg Japan will return to France to undertake a new role with AXA Investment Managers.
Watanabe-san will oversee business development and operations for both AXA Rosenberg Japan and AXA Investment Managers in Japan. AXA Rosenberg Japan and AXA Investment Managers first combined operations in Japan in 2002. Watanabe-san will join the AXA Investment Managers Executive Committee and the AXA Rosenberg Global Executive Committee and will report to Stephane Prunet, chief executive officer of AXA Rosenberg Group.
“We are delighted to announce Watanabe-san’s appointment. We have been committed to establishing a strong business in Japan, where we are convinced both a long-term perspective and local approach are key success criteria,” said Prunet.
The company also announced that Cheng Liao will assume the role of chief investment officer for AXA Rosenberg Japan. Cheng Liao, who first joined AXA Rosenberg in 1989, was instrumental in the development of the company’s Japan model and in establishing the company’s Asia Pacific business.
Prior to joining AXA Rosenberg Japan, Watanabe-san was the managing director and head of the Investment Advisory Division of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers in Tokyo. He has also held roles with Frank Russell Japan, the Pension Research Institute of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Yasuda Trust and has published numerous articles on pension investment topics in various journals and newspapers.