FTSE Russell, the global index and data provider, just announced that Seiji Ishii has been appointed Managing Director, Japan. In this role he will be responsible for managing client relationships and spearheading business development in the Japan market. He will work closely with FTSE Russell’s Research, Marketing, Partnerships, Client Services and Custom Solutions teams to ensure that FTSE Russell meets the needs of clients including asset managers and asset owners.
Prior to joining FTSE Russell, Seiji was Managing Director, Representative in Japan at Acadian Asset Management; APAC Region Co-Head and Representative in Japan at Millburn International; Chairman of Japan Investment Management Committee at Wellington Management; Managing Director at GAM; and a lecturer at Henley Hedge Fund Program. In addition, Seiji is Executive Ambassador at Stanford Research Institute and a Senior Advisor at Institutional Investor. He is also a Chartered Member of Analyst of the Security Analysts Association of Japan.
Japan continues to be an important market for the Group and FTSE Russell has successfully launched a number of initiatives over the past 12 months. These include the creation of a new index, the FTSE Blossom Japan Index, which uses FTSE Russell’s innovative ESG Ratings data model. In July, The Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) of Japan selected the index as a core ESG benchmark through its flagship fund. GPIF is the largest pension fund in the world with over $1.3tn in assets. Daiwa Asset Management and Asset Management One have subsequently listed ETFs on the Tokyo Stock Exchange tracking the FTSE Blossom Japan Index.
Jessie Pak, Managing Director, Asia, FTSE Russell, said:
I am delighted to confirm Seiji Ishii’s appointment as FTSE Russell’s new country head in Japan. He brings extensive experience to the role having previously held a number of senior roles within the asset management industry. FTSE Russell has built a strong track record in Japan and I look forward to working with Seiji to further the next stage of FTSE Russell’s development within the Asia Pacific region in order to best meet the needs of our global and local customer bases.