BlueBay Asset Management, the fixed income credit specialist manager with $40bn in AUM, has announced its intention to further develop its distribution capability in Asia by opening an office in Hong Kong, which is currently subject to regulatory approval. 

The office, which is expected to open today, will be headed by BlueBay’s Asia director, Charmian Wan.  Until now, BlueBay has been servicing the Asia ex-Japan market for almost four years out of London, but the new Hong Kong office is a move to deepen the ties the firm has with institutional investors in the region. 

“The Asian market is an increasingly important one for BlueBay as we look to expand our distribution footprint", commented Wan. 

Alberto Francioni, global head of sales at BlueBay, said: “The opening of our office is the first step in the deepening of our presence in Asia ex-Japan and we are actively seeking to make a number of key hires in the region over the coming months.” 

BlueBay was recently acquired by Royal Bank of Canada, and has offices in London, Japan and the US.  By expanding our sales capability in the Asian time zone, we will also be well placed to strengthen our existing client relationships and better understand investors’ needs in the future,” added Francioni. 

Bluebay manages both long only funds and hedge funds.