IGIS Asset Management names new securities chief

By Lee Min-hyung

Jang Ji-young, head of securities at IGIS Asset Management

IGIS Asset Management has named Jang Ji-young as its new head of securities, the company said Thursday.

Jang is one of Korea's most renowned global bond experts with more than two decades of experience. He started his securities career at BNK Securities in 1998. He then moved to Korea Post, a state-run postal service agency, in 2004 and worked as a specialist in its asset management team.

After a three-year career there, Jang started working for the National Pension Service's overseas bond management team in 2007.

He then joined Hanwha Asset Management in 2016 as a director of the firm's global bond division before being appointed as the new leader of securities at IGIS Asset Management.

IGIS is famous for its asset management expertise, particularly in alternative assets such as real estate and infrastructure. The company won the title of the nation's largest real estate fund management company in 2016, only about six years after its establishment.

Nonetheless, the company aims to expand its footing into traditional asset management and strengthen its business portfolio in sectors such as stocks and bonds. The company also established a securities division in April for the first time, in a move to diversify its portfolio during this period of financial volatility, which has been sparked by the hawkish moves of monetary authorities across the world.

“I will help converge IGIS Asset Management's expertise in alternative investments into traditional assets, and release a variety of financial products that will offer stable returns with risk diversification for our investors,” Jang said.

“We will also try to find optimal answers by closely communicating with investors, at a critical time when the financial market enters a new phase,” he said.