Tokio Marine Asset Management (London), the Japanese and Asian equities specialist, has appointed David O'Keeffe as vice president, business development.

O'Keeffe will report to Yuichi Takayama, chief executive and head of business development.

He has primary responsibility within the company will be for new business generation and the promotion of Tokio Marine investment strategies to European financial institutions – principally multi-managers, private banks, insurance companies, platforms and their advisers.

O'Keeffe was previously business development director at FundQuest, the multi-management arm of BNP Paribas Investment Partners. Prior to this he spent several years as a business development specialist at HSBC Global Asset Management again focusing on investment sales to financial institutions.

Takayama says: “We are very pleased to welcome David to the team. He has proven track record in business development and has built up an impressive base of knowledge and expertise that will help drive our company forward. His appointment confirms TMA's commitment to building a highly skilled, well-resourced team to manage relationships with our clients more effectively and efficiently.”

O'Keeffe adds: “TMA's reputation in Europe as a specialist active manager in Japanese and Asian equities is growing at a fantastic rate of knots. It is this potential that first attracted me to the company. I am excited by what we offer and we are seeing a high level of interest from institutional investors that are looking for something off the beaten track. Our investment returns are very strong which is helping us make good ground in the institutional market place. I look forward to continuing to build on the firm's already excellent reputation as a first-class provider of Japanese and Asian investment product.”