Manulife Wealth and Asset Management (Manulife WAM), the global wealth and asset management business of Manulife that brings investment solutions to institutional, retirement, and retail customers across the globe, has announced Fabio Fontainha as its new Head of Wealth & Asset Management, Asia, effective February 2025. Fabio succeeds Michael Dommermuth, who is leaving the firm at the end of the year.
“We are excited for Fabio to build on the momentum that has been growing for Manulife Wealth and Asset Management in Asia as we look to provide wealth and investment solutions to even more investors. We believe his expertise in key areas of focus for our business will make his transition into the role feel tangible almost immediately,” said Paul Lorentz, President and CEO, Manulife Wealth and Asset Management. “We are also appreciative of Michael’s commitment to our firm and the impact he has had on our expansion in multiple markets over more than two decades, ranging from multiple emerging Asia markets including India, as well as the conversion of our joint venture in China into a wholly-owned entity in Manulife Fund Management. We are grateful for his leadership that has provided broader capabilities to our clients across Asia.”
Fabio will be a member of the Manulife WAM leadership team and Manulife’s Global Leadership Team (GLT). He will be based in Hong Kong and report to Paul Lorentz and will also have accountability into Phil Witherington, President and CEO, Manulife Asia.
Fabio will collaborate closely with all country and regional heads, chief investment officers, and global product teams to deliver investment capabilities for the region. He will also drive Manulife WAM’s strategic growth plans locally and provide local oversight to the retail, retirement and institutional businesses, partner closely with local functional heads, and serve as a touch point for teams working on strategic initiatives throughout Asia.
Fabio was previously at Citigroup where he had an extensive career spanning more than three decades including experience with consumer and private wealth, as well as retail markets. He has also lived and worked in Tokyo, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur during this time. He most recently served as Global Business Execution Head – Citi Private Bank. Throughout his career he has managed global, regional, and local businesses in Asia, Latin America, Europe, the United States, and the Middle East with various mandates including Head of Retail Banking for Citi across APAC (Asia Pacific) and EMEA (Europe Middle East Africa).
“I’m delighted to be joining Manulife WAM at a significant inflection point in their business. I have been privileged to see the expansion and growth in Asia throughout my career and admire the progress and the commitment Manulife WAM has made to serve its clients in the region,” said Fabio. “I am looking forward to bringing my knowledge and expertise to this role and help to meet the goals of our institutional, retail and retirement clients.”
Manulife WAM believes its business will see additional organic growth opportunities as a result of prevalent global megatrends including the retirement savings gap, increased longevity and the need for individuals to prepare for potentially spending additional years – or even decades – in retirement compared to previous generations, and the anticipated demand from both the middle class and high net-worth populations who are seeking additional solutions to save and invest and new strategies to diversify their portfolios.
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