J.P. Morgan Asset Management (JPMAM) has appointed Philippe El-Asmar as head of Asia beta strategies.

A newly created role, El-Asmar is based in Hong Kong and is responsible for driving and accelerating the firm’s Asian beta strategies expansion. This includes international investment capabilities such as strategic and alternative beta strategies and factor-based investing, offered to both institutional and retail clients. It also includes the firm’s growing global exchange traded funds (ETF) platform.

In the short term, El-Asmar will focus on bringing the firm’s existing global beta strategies funds and institutional strategies to Asia clients, such as JPMorgan Systematic Alpha Fund, one of the earliest and longest running strategies in the alternative risk premia space, offering clients low-cost, liquid and transparent hedge fund exposures. He will also initially concentrate on helping Asian investors tap into JPMAM’s existing global ETF platform, including the more than 25 US and European ETF offerings.

Longer-term, El-Asmar will oversee development of the firm’s regional ETF product strategy and design as JPMAM seeks to meet client needs. He reports to Michael Camacho, global head of beta strategies, J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

“With his quantitative and technological expertise and successful track record, Philippe brings impressive leadership to the team. He will be instrumental in helping to enhance our client coverage and franchise across Asia as an increasing number of investors adopt various forms of beta investing,” says Camacho.

Previously El-Asmar served as CEO and Co-Founder of Amareos, a financial news analytics firm that uses artificial intelligence to evaluate market sentiment, produce research, and provide consulting services. Prior to that, he spent 10 years at Barclays Capital, where he held a variety of roles, including global head of equities distribution and head of distribution for Asia-Pacific. El-Asmar was also a pioneer in the exchange traded notes (ETN) industry, having created iPath ETN in 2006.

Before joining Barclays, El-Asmar spent seven years at Société Générale where he was the head of structured investments sales and head of structuring in New York and head of equity structuring in Tokyo.

“The opportunity to oversee the Asia expansion of this growing and rapidly evolving business within a deeply resourced global asset management firm is very exciting,” says El-Asmar.