Fund manager Western Asset names Michael Dale head of Singapore office

FUND manager Western Asset has appointed Michael Dale as head of Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) client service and marketing, and the head of its Singapore office, the firm announced on Wednesday.

Mr Dale assumed the roles on May 1, overseeing a regional team of 28, with 23 employees based in Singapore.

Western Asset is a fixed-income manager with US$435.8 billion in assets under management, and is an affiliate of mega American investment management firm Legg Mason.

On top of heading Western Asset's Singapore office, Mr Dale will focus on deepening relationships with current clients and bringing the company's fixed-income investment solutions to clients in the region, particularly insurers and pension funds.

He has relocated from Melbourne to Singapore and reports to Western Asset CEO James Hirschman, and head of international client service and marketing Rudi Otter.

Prior to this, Mr Dale was head of Australia and New Zealand client service and marketing in Melbourne.

He has over 12 years of experience in the financial services industry and held various positions at Pacific Investment Management Company and Treasury Group of Suncorp-Metway in Sydney before joining Western Asset in 2015.

Mr Dale said countries in Asia are looking to reform pension systems and products, and "this development creates exciting opportunities" for asset managers in fixed income.