Natixis Investment Managers’ affiliate Ostrum Asset Management is setting up a team of experts based in Hong Kong and Singapore to extend its real assets private debt management range for institutional investors, incorporating a new subsidiary in Hong Kong.
Asia Pacific has become the world’s largest infrastructure market in terms of both investment opportunities and investor demand.
“Asia Pacific alone is set to account for 60 percent of global infrastructure spending by 2025, including the One Belt, One Road program, which will require a hefty amount of financing,” said Ibrahima Kobar, CIO and deputy CEO of Ostrum AM.
Charles Regan has been appointed managing director, head of APAC infrastructure real assets private debt and Alistair Ho has been appointed managing director, head of co-lending for Asia Pacific. Co-lending activity will be done in partnership with Natixis’s corporate & investment banking division.
“Asia Pacific includes the fastest growing economies in the world and Australia, which is the second-largest project finance market in the world — all of which provides rising market for infrastructure debt,” said Regan. “And infrastructure financing in Asia offers comparable risk to OECD investments. We have been investing in the region for more than 20 years and have experienced successful execution through multiple cycles.”
This move forms part of Ostrum AM’s broader strategy to expand its global platform for this asset class, managed by Denis Prouteau, real asset private debt CIO. This newly created subsidiary will provide investors with investment opportunities in the infrastructure real asset private debt space in Asia Pacific, along with co-lending opportunities in partnership with Natixis’ corporate & investment banking division.
Fabrice Chemouny, head of Asia Pacific for Natixis Investment Managers, said, “Real assets private debt is an excellent way to address investors’ need for diversification while giving them the opportunity to finance the real economy. The asset class offers an attractive risk/return profile. Ostrum AM’s range fits fully with Natixis Investment Managers’ Active ThinkingSM approach.”
Most recently, Regan was co-founder and managing director of Windward Capital Asia. Prior to Windward Capital Asia, Regan held a number of senior roles covering the region including managing director, regional co-head of CIB and regional head of FIG, Asia Pacific at Banco Santander (Hong Kong) and head of originations, capital markets and managing director, Asia Pacific at WestLB AG (Hong Kong).
And most recently, Ho was managing director, head of structured finance, Asia ex-Japan for Mizuho Securities Asia Limited. Prior to Mizuho, Ho held a number of positions in Asia, including: executive director, head of structured credit syndicate, Asia Pacific at Natixis; vice-president, fixed income structured solutions at Credit Suisse; and vice president, cross-asset strategic solutions at Citigroup.