Our Company

Nikko Asset Management
History
Leadership
Awards
Global Offices

We actively manage over NZD$ billion* of investments. We manage domestic assets through our Auckland-based investment teams and employ carefully selected offshore managers to manage global assets. Our history dates back to 1994 when Norwich Union Fund Management was founded in New Zealand.

Nikko Asset Management (our parent) is one of Asia’s largest asset managers, providing high-conviction, active fund management across a range of Equity, Fixed Income and Multi-Asset strategies. In addition, our complementary range of passive strategies covers more than 20 indices and includes some of Asia’s largest exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

* As of

Learn more about what makes Nikko AM unique.

A snapshot of Nikko AM's history is provided above.
Explore an expanded look at Nikko AM's history here.

See a complete lineup of our leadership.

Morningstar 2019
"Fund Manager of the Year"

INFINZ 2018
"Fund Manager of the Year - Bonds"

Nikko AM's range of specialist Asian equity, fixed income and ETF investment products have been singled out for distinction by consultants and financial media across the globe. We appreciate this recognition and strive to remain the leading Asia-based asset management company, by delivering consistent outperformance and high quality client service.

A full list of global awards can be found here.

See a more detailed description of Nikko AM's global offices.

While Nikko Asset Management has over half a century of experience in the marketplace, we have an entrepreneurial culture that is building strong global investment capability in equity, fixed income, multi-asset and alternatives.

Headquartered in Asia for 60⁺ years*, the firm represents more than 200 investment professionals* and 28 nationalities* across 11 countries*. More than 300 banks, brokers, financial advisors and life insurance companies around the world distribute the company’s products.

Our talent strategy is to recruit and retain the performance-driven leaders and technical specialists who are experts locally, think globally, and can help us expand quickly in this growing industry.

*As of

Nikko Securities Investment Trust and Management Co., Ltd. Established December 1959		Nikko International Capital Management Co., Ltd. Established September 1981
Tokyo office opens	1959
First investment trust launches the Nikko Bond Fund	1961
	1981	Tokyo office opens
New York office opens	1984
London office opens	1987	Registers as investment adviser and becomes licensed for discretionary asset management
Singapore office opens	1990	Company enters corporate pension fund market

Nikko Securities Investment Trust & Management Co., Ltd. and Nikko International Capital Management Co., Ltd. merge
Nikko Asset Management Co., Ltd. (Nikko AM) Established April 1999
1999		Launches first SRI fund in Japan^*1
2000		Signs the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Statement by Financial Institutions on Environmental & Sustainable Development, in line with Nikko AM's approach to responsible investment
2001		Launches Japan's first investment in-kind ETF (Nikkei 225 index tracker)^*1
2003		Becomes first Japanese asset manager to gain Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) status in China^*1
2005		Launches world's first China A Shares Equity fund outside of China^*2 Wins Reuters' Lipper Award for Best Fund Group — the first of many industry awards
2007		Invests in Chinese asset manager Rongtong Fund Management Co., Ltd., holding 40% in a joint venture partnership
2008		Launches Nikko AM Fund Academy to provide investment education to distributors and investors
2009		Welcomes new major shareholder, Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.
2010		Launches world's first fund investing in World Bank Green Bonds^*1
2011		Completes acquisition of Tyndall Investments, gaining strong foothold in Australia and New Zealand Completes acquisition of DBS Asset Management; renames company Nikko Asset Management Asia Limited and merges operations with Nikko Asset Management Singapore Limited. Stakes in Malaysian Hwang Investment Management Berhad and AIIMAN Asset Management Sdn Bhd are part of the deal Signs strategic alliance with DBS Bank; strengthens investment team and expands distribution coverage.
2013		Exceeds 15 trillion yen in AUM Acquires an Asian Equities team
2014		Fukuoka office opens One of the first asset managers in Singapore to be awarded RQFII, and launched Singapore’s first Chinese onshore bond fund^*1 Hires a Global Equities team Launches Multi-Asset capability Aligns Tyndall brand names in Australia and New Zealand with the firm’s global name, Nikko Asset Management
2015		Eurasia Group, Nikko Asset Management Pair Strengths in Emerging Markets Investments Exceeds 20 trillion yen in AUM Launches Japan's first Robotics Equity fund^*1
2017		Launches its first ETF outside of Japan on the SGX, and Singapore's first Asia ex Japan REIT ETF^*1 Partners with ARK Invest for Disruptive Innovation Investment Solutions
2018		Commits to the UN’s Women’s Empowerment Principles
2019		Nikko Asset Management Europe Ltd (German Branch) opens in Frankfurt to better serve the needs of the Firm’s clients in the country Transitions to a company with an Audit and Supervisory Committee on the Board
2020		Issues first Sustainability Report
2021		Enters into partnership in Australia with Yarra Capital Management

	Junichi Sayato Chairman, President & CEO Junichi Sayato joined Nikko Asset Management Co., Ltd. as Representative Director and Executive Deputy President in June 2015. He was then promoted to Executive Chairman & Co-CEO in April 2019 and assumed his current position in April 2021. Read more Before joining Nikko Asset Management, Sayato most recently served as Representative Director and President of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust General Service Co., Ltd. He also previously held the position of President at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Research Institute Co., Ltd., and was in charge of IR at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings, Inc. as Director and Managing Executive Officer. Prior to this, at Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. (now Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Ltd.), he oversaw finance, asset and liability management, operations, IT, compliance, and customer satisfaction as Director and Managing Executive Officer. Before that, he served as Executive Officer and Regional Executive for the Americas at the same bank, as well as General Manager of the New York Branch and General Manager of the Risk Management Department. Sayato has over 13 years of extensive experience working outside of Japan, namely in London, New York and Washington D.C. He graduated from the School of Law at Kyoto University in March 1978 and received his master's degree from the London School of Economics (Department of Economics, International Relations Major) in August 1982.
	Yutaka Nishida Director and Executive Vice Chairman Yutaka Nishida joined Nikko Asset Management Co., Ltd. (Nikko AM) in April 2020 as a Non-Executive Director before being appointed to his current position as Executive Director and Executive Vice Chairman in June 2021. Read more He supports the Chairman, President & CEO across all areas of the business, and oversees the Human Resources, Finance as well as the Legal & Compliance Divisions. He also holds the role of Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). Nishida previously served as a non-executive director at Nikko AM for approximately one year from June 2018 to August 2019, and has extensive knowledge of the asset management business. In 1984, Nishida joined The Sumitomo Trust and Banking Co., Ltd. (currently Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Ltd.) and his career spans key senior roles at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. He brings extensive international experience as Head of New York Unit, Global Markets and later Regional Executive for Europe and General Manager of London Branch. In 2012, he was named an Executive Officer of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank and rose through the ranks eventually to 2017 as Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer. Meanwhile at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings, he was appointed Executive Officer in 2013, and held senior roles until becoming a Director and Senior Managing Representative Executive Officer in 2019. During this time, he was mainly responsible for overseeing key administrative functions of risk management, fiduciary risk management, legal and compliance. Nishida graduated from the School of Law at Kyoto University in March 1984.
	Yuji Ooyagi Executive Corporate Officer, Head of Japan Sales Yuji Ooyagi has held the position of Executive Vice President* since May 2019. He is in charge of Japan Sales, and oversees both the Japan Retail and Japan Institutional Business. Read more Ooyagi originally became Head of the Corporate Business Development Department in 2002, during which time he expanded Nikko Asset Management’s offering of products for financial institutions. He became the Head of Investment Trust Sales in 2010, where he held several important posts in support of the investment trust business. Ooyagi became Head of the Japan Retail Business Division and a Senior Corporate Managing Director in April 2014. Ooyagi started at Nikko Securities (currently SMBC Nikko Securities) in 1985 before becoming a portfolio manager in 1992 at Nikko Securities Investment Trust and Management (currently Nikko Asset Management). He graduated from Waseda University in March 1985. *The title “Executive Vice President” was replaced with “Executive Corporate Officer” in April 2021.
	Hiroki Tsujimura Executive Corporate Officer, Global Head of Investment and CIO Hiroki Tsujimura has held the position of Executive Vice President, Global Head of Investment and CIO since June 2019, and is responsible for overseeing all investment management activities globally. Read more Tsujimura joined Nikko Asset Management in December 2004 as the firm's Global Head of Alternative Investments and Chief Investment Officer at its New York subsidiary. After relocating to Nikko Asset Management’s Tokyo headquarters in August 2010, Tsujimura served as Head of Active Investments, where he was in charge of equity, fixed income and alternative investments. He was appointed Chief Investment Officer – Japan in January 2013 and was also named Senior Corporate Managing Director in April 2014. He was named Executive Vice President in May 2019. Before joining the firm, Tsujimura spent 12 years in the investment and financial industry in the U.S., where he worked in alternative investments serving as Director and Executive Vice President at Nikko Securities International (NSI). He also started NSI’s proprietary trading operation in his role as the head of the equity trading department. At Nikko Securities (now SMBC Nikko Securities) in Japan, Tsujimura established a joint venture with an American securities firm, where he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Business and Commerce at Keio University. The title “Executive Vice President” was replaced with “Executive Corporate Officer” in April 2021.
	Osamu Morita Executive Corporate Officer Osamu Morita has held the position of Executive Vice President* since May 2019. Morita joined Nikko Asset Management as Senior Corporate Managing Director, Chief Legal Officer (CLO), Global Head of Legal and Head of Legal & Compliance Division in April 2016. From October 2016 he concurrently served as Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). He has held his current role since June 2021. Read more Before joining Nikko Asset Management, Morita most recently served as Senior Managing Director of Nikko System Solutions Inc., and prior to that Managing Executive Officer of SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. He previously was President of Nikko Global Wrap Co., Ltd. while serving as Managing Executive Officer of SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. in April 2011. At the former Nikko Cordial Securities (renamed as SMBC Nikko Securities Co., Ltd. in April 2011), Morita oversaw asset management for more than six years from 2008. Before that, he served as Executive Director and Executive Officer of Nikko Cordial Group, Inc. and Nikko Cordial Securities Co., Ltd., with a focus on supervising the finance and personnel & training department. He has over 20 years of extensive experience in the area of legal, corporate planning, human resources and talent development. He graduated from the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Law and Political Science and received a Masters in Law. *The title “Executive Vice President” was replaced with “Executive Corporate Officer” in April 2021.
	Kunihiro Asai Senior Corporate Officer Kunihiro Asai has held the position of Senior Corporate Managing Director* since May 2019. He oversees the execution of the firm’s corporate strategy, risk management, internal control, operations and technology on a global basis. Read more Asai joined Nikko Asset Management as Head of Risk Management in August 2006. He served as Head of Product Development for seven years from 2007 onwards, and was appointed Global Head of Corporate Office and Head of Corporate Office in 2014. A veteran financier with more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry, Asai has a strong background in risk management. Prior to joining Nikko Asset Management, he worked for the major trading house Mitsui & Co, Ltd. between 2001 and 2006, engaged in planning and managing the product derivatives business globally. He also spent more than a decade working at both Sanwa Securities and Sanwa Bank, serving in the overseas dealing business. Asai holds a Master of Science in computational finance from the Carnegie Mellon University Graduate School of Industrial Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Tokyo. *The title “Senior Corporate Managing Director” was replaced with “Senior Corporate Officer” in April 2021.
	Stefanie Drews Senior Corporate Officer, Global Head of Products & Solutions, Global Head of International, Corporate Sustainability Advocate, Global Head of Sales Support Stefanie Drews oversees all domestic and international product development and management, marketing, communications, and sales support. She is in charge of the international business and leads the firm’s corporate sustainability efforts. Read more Drews joined Nikko Asset Management in August 2014, and was originally appointed Global Head of Institutional Marketing and Proposition. She became Joint Global Head of Product & Marketing in 2016 at the firm’s Tokyo headquarters, and from 2018 also became Global Head of Marketing and Head of Corporate Sustainability. She has held the position of Senior Corporate Managing Director, and the additional positions of Global Head of Products & Solutions, Global Head of International Sales & Strategy and Global Head of Sales Support since May 2019. Drews was previously the Global Head of Key Clients and Family Offices at Barclays Wealth and Investment Management in London. Prior to Barclays, she was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management in London, where she spent 13 years. Drews graduated from Oxford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Philosophy & Economics, and earned her MBA at Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. The title “Senior Corporate Managing Director” was replaced with “Senior Corporate Officer” in April 2021.

	Eleanor Seet Head of Asia and President, Nikko Asset Management Asia Limited Eleanor Seet joined Nikko Asset Management in 2011 as the President and Director of the Singapore entity. She became the Head of Asia ex-Japan in 2015 with expanded responsibility for driving the growth of Nikko AM in the region. She has oversight of Nikko AM’s Singapore and Hong Kong offices and joint venture relationships in China and Malaysia and is a board member of Affin Hwang Asset Management Berhad. Read more Ms Seet is a pioneer in the asset management industry with over 20 years of experience. Prior to joining Nikko AM Asia, Ms Seet led the distribution efforts for iShares concentrating on the wealth segments across Asia ex Japan. Previously, she spent 12 years at AllianceBernstein, where she was responsible for building and developing the firm’s distribution channels and business. In that capacity, she was responsible for the overall strategy and execution of the firm’s product offerings in South East Asia via intermediaries. She graduated with a Bachelor of Economics from the University of New South Wales, Sydney.
	George Carter Managing Director, Nikko Asset Management New Zealand Limited George Carter joined Nikko Asset Management New Zealand as the Managing Director in November 2015. He has 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. Read more George was previously head of distribution and a director at AMP Capital, a role he held for six years with responsibility for proactively engaging with and managing the business's external relationships. Prior to that, he worked as a consulting actuary advising institutional clients on pensions, investments assets and liabilities in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. He holds an honours degree in Theology from the University of Durham and is a Fellow of both the Institute of Actuaries and the New Zealand Society of Actuaries.
	John Howland-Jackson Chief Executive Officer, Nikko Asset Management Europe Limited John joined Nikko Asset Management in October 2014, initially as an advisor to senior management on business development opportunities in Europe and the Middle East. Read more After joining the Nikko Asset Management Europe (NAME) board in 2016 as Non-Executive Director and Chairman, he was appointed Chief Executive of the company on 1 January 2018. John is responsible for all aspects of Nikko AM’s business across the EMEA region and its continuing growth strategy. Prior to joining Nikko AM, John was a career banker holding senior executive positions in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia with a number of leading financial institutions, including JP Morgan, Nomura Securities, the NatWest Group and latterly the ING Group. John holds a BA in Jurisprudence (Law) from Oxford University and is a qualified Barrister-at-Law.
	Lawrence Prager Country Head and Chief Investment Officer, Nikko Asset Management Americas, Inc. Larry Prager is Country Head, Senior Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of Nikko Asset Management Americas, Inc. based in New York, responsible for all aspects of the business. Read more He came to the New York office in 2010 from Nikko Asset Management Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, where he was Director of Equity Research. He has been actively involved in Nikko AM’s Global Investment Committee, its Stewardship and Proxy Voting Committee and its ESG activity. Over an investment career of more than 35 years, Larry has been engaged in providing investment advice to retail and institutional investors in Japan and globally. Prior to joining Nikko AM in Tokyo in 2005, he worked for Nikko Citigroup from its start-up till 2005, focused on retail research services to Nikko Cordial Securities and management of its institutional research department. Prior to that he was a director and co-head of the equity research department and member of the global asset allocation committee at the Nikko Research Center, Ltd. in Tokyo. As co-head of sales and research for Nikko Europe in London he focused on investment advice on Japanese markets for its U.K., European and Middle Eastern institutional clients, and sales of European equities into Japan. At Nikko Securities in Tokyo where he began his career in 1985, following two years of post-graduate studies at Keio University in Tokyo, one year associated with the Department of Business and Commerce, Larry focused on Japanese equity markets for institutional investors and global asset allocation as part of the core investment advisory team providing investment services to its global institutional investor and Japan retail investor client base, and its internal product planning strategy function, and serving in various management positions. Larry holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Asian Studies/Political Science from the University of California Santa Barbara. He received his MBA with a concentration in finance from the University of California Los Angeles. He studied Japanese language at UCSB, UCLA, ICU (International Christian University in Tokyo) and at Keio University under a “Monbusho” (Japanese government) scholarship. He has held the “Gaimuin” (for sales and investment advice), and Naibu kanri sekinin sha (internal administrator) qualifications of the Japan Securities Dealers Association, and the U.S. Series 3, 7, 16, 24, 86, 87 and Swaps Proficiency, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s FSA credential, and the highest proficiency of level 1 in the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test.
	Yasuaki Ogiwara President, Nikko Asset Management Hong Kong Limited Yasuaki Ogiwara joined Nikko Asset Management in April 2015 and is the president of Nikko Asset Management Hong Kong Limited. Read more He is responsible for supporting the company's delivery of integrated solutions to investors throughout Asia. He is a veteran financier. Prior to joining Nikko Asset Management he was the president of Nomura Asset Management in Hong Kong. He has also headed sales and business development in multiple markets during his tenure at Nomura Securities, including Taiwan and Europe.

http://www.rtfund.com/	Allen Yan Deputy CEO, Rongtong Fund Management Mr. Yan joined Rongtong Global Investment Limited as CEO in 2013. He has been serving as a deputy CEO of Rongtong Fund Management Co. since 2011. Read more From March 2008 to 2011, Allen was co-head of strategy and financial planning of Nikko AM. He was head of financial planning and analysis from 2006 to 2008. Prior to joining Nikko AM, he had been with Fidelity Investments Japan since 2001. There he was in the finance division, responsible for business planning and financial analysis for Fidelity Investments Japan and subsequently Fidelity Investments Asia. He earned his BA in Economics at the University of Chicago and his Master of Commerce and Management at Hitotsubashi University in Japan. He holds the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
http://www.affinhwangam.com/	Teng Chee Wai Managing Director & Executive Director, Affin Hwang Asset Management Berhad Teng Chee Wai is the founder of Affin Hwang Asset Management Berhad ("Affin Hwang AM"). Over the past decade, he has built the Company to be the fastest growing and only independent investment management house in Malaysia’s top three, with an excess of RM59 billion in assets under administration as at 31 May 2020. Read more In his capacity as Managing Director / Executive Director, Teng manages the overall business and strategic direction as well as the management of the investment team. His hands-on approach sees him actively involved in investments, product development and marketing. Teng’s critical leadership and regular participation in reviewing and assessing strategies and performance has been pivotal in allowing the Company to successfully navigate the economically turbulent decade. Teng’s investment management experience spans more than 20 years, and his key area of expertise is in managing absolute return mandates for insurance assets and investment-linked funds in both Singapore and Malaysia. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Assistant General Manager (Investment) of Overseas Assurance Corporation (OAC) and was responsible for the investment function of the Group Overseas Assurance Corporation Ltd. Teng began his career in the financial industry as an Investment Manager with NTUC Income, Singapore. He is a Bachelor of Science graduate from the National University of Singapore and has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Actuarial Studies from City University in London.
https://www.yarracm.com/	Dion Hershan Executive Chairman and Head of Australian Equities Dion is Executive Chairman and Head of Australian Equities. He is responsible for leading the Australian Equities team, and is a Portfolio Manager focused on large cap equities. Read more Prior to transitioning to Yarra Capital Management, Dion was the Head of Australian Equities of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, a position he held since July 2007. He was previously a Fund Manager at Citadel Investment Group based in New York where he managed a long/short portfolio. He also worked as an Analyst and Fund Manager for Boston-based Fidelity Investments, where he was responsible for managing a diversified fund. Before moving to the US, Dion worked at Boston Consulting Group where he undertook financial and quantitative analysis, project and client account management. Dion holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Arts from Monash University and an MBA from Columbia Business School, New York.

Our Company

Nikko Asset Management

History

Leadership

Awards

Global Offices

Learn more about what makes Nikko AM unique.

A snapshot of Nikko AM's history is provided above. Explore an expanded look at Nikko AM's history here.

See a complete lineup of our leadership.

A full list of global awards can be found here.

See a more detailed description of Nikko AM's global offices.

Read more about careers at Nikko AM.

A snapshot of Nikko AM's history is provided above.
Explore an expanded look at Nikko AM's history here.