Role Overview and Impact

The Head of EMEA & APAC Index Equity will oversee a diverse team of 60+ investment professionals across multiple offices, including Hong Kong, London, Munich, and Tokyo. The team mainly consists of Portfolio Engineers (PEs), who are responsible for all aspects of day-to-day portfolio management and sit at the intersection of capital markets, index methodology, operational risk management, trading, and technology. Additionally, the Head will oversee regional investment platform and research functions.

The Head will lead Portfolio Engineers to deliver the investment outcomes and product integrity of more than $1 trillion of assets; assets managed span over Developed and Emerging markets and a wide product range, including ETFs / UCITS funds, Institutional, Retail, Pension, and Defined Contribution funds. They will report to the Global Co-Heads of Index Equity, bringing regional nuances while representing a global function.

This influential role will represent Index Equity within both global and regional management forums. They will articulate the business vision, strategy, and aspirations and translate them into regional team priorities.

They will drive the solutions and investment processes to meet clients’ fast-growing and wide-ranging sustainability needs. They will advance and scale the investment capabilities of their region, where both organic AUM and revenue growth topped 15% last year.

As the Index Equity investment platform quickly evolves, the Head of EMEA & APAC Index Equity will be a versatile, highly collaborative leader who can lead through change. When carrying out global strategies, they will dynamically adapt to changes in regulatory environments, creating rigour and scale. They will lead with a global mentality and champion the EMEA & APAC region, ensuring regional needs are considered and appropriately prioritised within the global business strategy.

Role Responsibilities:

  • Deliver precise portfolio tracking and investment outcomes. Collaborate with the Global CIO to improve upon and drive product integrity, ensuring 95% of AUM at or above tolerance.
  • Partner with the CIO team to advise global investment policies, lead all aspects of implementation, factoring in local requirements for commercial or regulatory reasons. Dynamically adapt to changes in regulatory environments.
  • Anticipate areas of potential investment and operational risk, proactively addressing them through simplifying operating models. Ensure robust risk controls exist across all parts of the investment process. Create a strong culture of risk management.
  • Maintain positive relationships with business partners across the firm, using the network to efficiently resolve challenges. Communicate status updates appropriately to senior leaders in EII and BLK.
  • Represent the Index Equity business to strategic clients, regulators, external business partners (such as index providers), and senior leaders internally.
  • Collaborate with global and regional leadership to define the business roadmap and translate into team priorities and empower talent at every level.
  • Make important strategy, business policy and prioritisation decisions, such as staffing, investment standard, and use of algorithmic processes. Align priorities and deploy resources to growth drivers for the EII business and strategic direction. Critically and strategically evaluate ongoing resourcing needs and shape of the organization.
  • Build, lead, and grow the Portfolio Engineering team in EMEA & APAC to develop the next generation of EII leadership within the team. Develop the skills needed for PEs to be successful and evolve the balance of expertise on the team to future state in a risk-controlled manner.
  • Build upon the PE teams’ strong culture of excellence. Use transparent leadership and open communication as the team evolves. Create an environment that fosters diversity, inclusivity, emotional ownership, accountability, motivation, and a deep connection to our purpose.

A successful candidate brings:

  • 15-20+ years of relevant experience in asset management, wealth management or strategy consulting experience within asset management or broader financial services; strong investment expertise and understanding of investment processes, regulations, and governance
  • Demonstrated courageous, bold vision in setting and implementing strategy; critical thinking and industry product knowledge; a global attitude and strong local champion
  • Excellent risk management and mitigation skills – the ability to proactively identify current and future risks, determine criticality and appropriate action; calmness and good judgment in unanticipated situations involving significant fiduciary, operating and investment risks
  • The ability to lead through change and empower a large, diverse team; ability to foster an inclusive, equitable environment where a wide diversity of experiences, backgrounds and expertise are valued and incorporated, and all employees are treated fairly
  • Creativity, empathy, and transparency in their leadership
  • The ability to leverage robust global, cross-functional relationships for constant collaboration and partnership; connect dots across the firm, identifying and creating synergies
  • Fiduciary mindset, putting clients’ best interests and BlackRock’s reputation above all when making tough business decisions

Source: for more information click here.

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