IFM Investors opens office in Korea


Institutional fund manager, IFM Investors has announced the opening of a new office in Seoul, South Korea, which is a part of its international footprint expansion, and has appointed Kelly Ki Jeong as its new client relationship director.
With last year’s opening expansion to Hong Kong, the firm’s new Seoul office would be its eighth globally.
As Korean institutional investors were increasingly allocating to non-traditional asset classes in order to fund retirement for its aging population, IFM Investors said that its investor-aligned ownership structure would help success in this market.
The company would aim to strengthen partnerships with Korean clients, and in particular with those of them who sought diversifying their investments offshore across infrastructure debt and equity asset classes.
IFM Investors’ chief executive, Brett Himbury said: “More than ever, Korean pension and insurance investors are embracing IFM Investors investment model, and our investor-first approach, in order to diversify globally and add to their risk adjusted returns.
“Importantly, the opening of our latest office in Seoul will not only allow the firm to build and deliver scale to meet the global needs of our institutional investor base, but also serve to expand IFM Investors’ global presence and, ultimately, the people and communities we seek to serve.”
Currently IFM Investors has offices in Melbourne, Sydney, New York, London, Berlin, Tokyo and Hong Kong, with more than 40 per cent of the firm’s investment professionals based outside Australia.
Recommended for you
Australian fund managers are actively seeking to launch Cayman versions of their funds to attract offshore flows, with Regal Partners set to launch its latest offering this month.
As private markets gain traction in Australia but only a limited pool of talent is available, three recruiters explore whether fund managers should consider looking overseas to find top talent.
With an explosion of private credit managers appearing in the market, two alternatives experts believe a consolidation is needed to maintain the quality of the sector.
Bentham Asset Management has become the latest fund manager to expand its distribution team as it reports increased interest in its credit strategies.