Merrill Lynch has announced the appointment of Spencer White as head of regional equity strategy for ex-Japan Asia. White will move to Hong Kong to take up his new role, having previously served as head of Taiwan research for Merrill in Taipei, a position he has held since joining the firm in 1999. Prior to that, White spent three years at AIB Govett Asset Management, where he was responsible for equity investment across North Asia and the Indonesia sub-continent. He has also worked as an investment manager with Hambros Bank, specializing in Japanese equities.