Franklin Templeton appoints former BOS managing director to new Apac private markets wealth role

[SINGAPORE] Global asset manager Franklin Templeton on Tuesday (May 12) announced the appointment of Chee Jiun Wen as the head of private markets for Asia-Pacific wealth.

The appointment to this new role comes as demand for private-markets strategies continues to grow among wealth clients in the region, said Franklin Templeton.

Asia-Pacific’s wealth channel contributed “strongly” to its alternatives assets under management, which reached US$286 billion as at Apr 30, and the US$23 billion raised in private markets over the past two quarters.

Christian Bucaro, head of wealth in Asia, said: “Asia-Pacific is a priority growth market for our wealth business, and clients are increasingly seeking long-term private-markets solutions that can support more diversified portfolios.”

Chee will be based in Singapore and his remit will focus on growing Franklin Templeton’s private markets franchise across the region. His role will include expanding Apac wealth clients’ accessibility to the company’s private equity, private credit, real estate and infrastructure capabilities.

He will report to Jeff Masom, head of US distribution and global wealth management private markets, and regionally to Bucaro.

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Chee most recently served as a managing director at the Bank of Singapore (BOS), where he led the bank’s alternative investments platform and helped expand client adoption of private markets.

Prior to this, he held senior roles at Julius Baer, Partners Group and Cambridge Associates, advising sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations and private clients across Asia.

Chee holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Warwick.