AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) today announces the appointment of Francisco Arcilla as Head of Japan.

Formerly the global head of hedge funds, Mr Arcilla will now lead AXA IM's distribution and business development in Japan and play a key role in helping expand the company's footprint.

Christophe Coquema, global head of client group, said: "Given our ambition for global growth, Japan is a crucially important region for AXA IM and we have worked hard to find the correct individual to take on this challenge.

"We are confident that Francisco is the right person to lead our efforts in Japan," he said.

Mr Arcilla joined AXA IM as global head of hedge funds and as a member of the executive committee in 2011.

Most recently, he was director of Product Development at AXA Rosenberg.

Prior to joining AXA IM, Francisco was co-head of investments at Swiss alternative solutions boutique EIM SA.

Before joining EIM in June 2008, Francisco had spent eleven years as a senior trader, specialised in credit and fixed income relative value strategies, both in developed and emerging markets.

Francisco began his career in 1994 as an analyst in the Investment Banking division of Merrill Lynch.

He graduated from HEC School of Management in Paris, and holds an MSc. in Finance from the London Business School.

AXA IM has been operating in Asia Pacific since 1998 with offices in Tokyo, Hong-Kong, Beijing, Singapore, and Sydney, as well as joint-ventures in Shanghai, Seoul and Mumbai.

Andrea Rossi, CEO of AXA IM added: "Francisco is an AXA IM executive committee member with a strong understanding of AXA IM as a business as well as a long standing relationship with AXA Group.

"He is therefore very well placed to increase AXA IM's visibility in Japan and build our franchise both with third party clients and with AXA Life Japan."

First published 09.04.2015

Lindsay.sharman@wilmingtonplc.com