William Blair, a US-based investment banking and wealth management firm, has strengthened its footprint in Asia with the launch of an office in Singapore.

The expansion bolsters the reach of William Blair Investment Management, adding to its footprint in Shanghai.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

The business also has operations in Australia, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US.

Clifford Lau

The firm has hired Clifford Lau from Columbia Threadneedle Investments to serve as a portfolio manager on its EMD team.

At Columbia Threadneedle, Lau served as the head of fixed income, Asia Pacific.

He formerly led the Singapore office for Pramerica Fixed Income. In this role, he managed around $1bn of Asian fixed-income assets.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Lau will operate out of William Blair’s Singapore office.

He will be supported by Johnny Chen, an EMD portfolio manager.

Chen previously worked at NN Investment Partners (NNIP).

William Blair Investment Management partner and global head Stephanie Braming said: “Opening the Singapore office marks a pivotal point in our growth, providing us with a greater level of on-the-ground Asian coverage and insight than ever before.

“We are leveraging our deep heritage of global investing while creating a strong platform to deliver William Blair’s proven range of equities, fixed income, and multi-asset solutions to Asian investors.”

William Blair 

William Blair has more than 20 offices across the globe.

Last year, the firm opened offices in Amsterdam as well as Baltimore.

William Blair Investment Management oversaw $56.8bn in assets at the end of June 2020.

The business specialises in active management across equity, fixed income, currency as well as multi-asset strategies.

It works alongside sovereign wealth funds, financial advisers, private and public pension funds, insurance firms, endowments, and foundations.