GAM has hired Seiji Iishi as managing director for Japan clients, making him responsible for business development in that country. It is a new position representing an expansion of the business, says a GAM spokeswoman. He will report to David Lam, MD for clients in Hong Kong.
Iishi, who begins in mid-April, has left Merrill Lynch Investment Managers to take the job. He had served as global consultant coordinator under Mikifumi Watanabe, who runs MLIM's pensions business.
David Semaya, MLIM's Japan president, says the firm is replacing Iishi with someone transferring from London.
Separately, Scott Gilman has joined United Investments and UAM in Tokyo as president and CEO, replacing Masaharu Izumi, who retired after 10 years with the firms. The two companies are units of Old Mutual Asset Management, the US arm of London-based Old Mutual plc. He reports to Scott Powers, CEO at Old Mutual Asset Management.
Gilman was briefly COO at State Street in Japan, but built his Japan career at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, where he was chief administrative officer and member of the Japan executive committee for both GSAM and Goldman Sachs Investment Trust Management. He continues to chair the investment management sub-committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ).
