2. www.aquissearch.com 1
About Aquis Search
Founded in 2009 Aquis Search began as a boutique Legal & Compliance Executive Search firm predominantly focused on
servicing financial institutions in the Asia Pacific region. Since then we have grown into the region’s leading Corporate
Governance and Control functions specialist with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai. Our geographical
coverage has always extended beyond our offices and we have successfully completed searches in numerous Asian
countries.
Our coverage is extensive and our clients include a prestigious network of financial institutions, leading UK & US law
firms and many of the largest names within the Fortune 500. As the foundation of our network, professional integrity is of
paramount importance in building these relationships and we have developed a reputation for providing a professional
service which has allowed us to build relationships that are unparalleled. The majority of our business is conducted by
personal referral, which is a testament to the high level of professionalism for which our business is known.
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Investment Management
The Investment Management team is focused on assignments in Private Banking, Asset Management, Hedge Fund, Private Equity,
as well as Insurance industries. The industries under this banner are the fastest growing sectors in financial services. Asia is at the
center of every major Private Bank’s growth strategy as the number of high-net-worth individuals has grown at a faster rate in the
Asia Pacific than anywhere else in the world. The investment profile of Asset Management firms (traditional and alternative) has also
developed quickly in response to changing market conditions and where investment portfolios are changing faster than ever. It is
critical to identify the best talent in portfolio management, research, marketing, distribution and client service, risk management and
supporting staff, especially in the Hedge Fund, Private Equity and Venture Capital worlds. In Private Equity Aquis helps organisations
promote their capabilities to senior-level professionals - including institutional investors, general partners, investment banks and
intermediaries.
Singapore and Hong Kong are increasingly favoured Asia-Pacific offshore centers, and Investment Management firms seeking to
thrive in these centers need to act on several fronts, although bridging the talent gap is the biggest challenge. In response to this
we work closely with some of the leading names in the sector helping to identify and recruit professionals at all levels. Our local
specialist understanding provides first-hand insights into these individual markets.
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Investment Management
We are equally happy to advise on research or selection-driven executive search approaches, but specialise in full cycle retained
search for senior or strategic hires. We invest time in understanding specific deliverables of an assignment and role in tandem with
the culture of the business we are representing. We work with our clients to create and promote a positive employer brand image
and value proposition that attracts key people to the business. Our searches are designed to identify the ‘best in class’, candidates
who are not actively looking for new opportunities because as experts in their field and the only way that these candidates may be
identified is by making a direct and discreet approach. This extremely pro-active way or working is best utilised by organisations
who have a very specific assignment to fill where there are only a finite number of people available in the market.
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Legal
The Aquis Search Legal team delivers specialist recruitment solutions to the corporate, practice and financial markets.
Our experienced consultants have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the legal sector and provide a range of
advisory services including market insights and salary information.
Legal infrastructure is fundamental to business. Legal rules and systems are constantly created, changed and moulded to
fit particular situations in business and as a result elaborate rights and responsibilities in a variety of ways. In the global
economy most legal systems deal with similar issues, each country categorising and identifying its legal standards and
principals in different ways. These differences are increasingly visible and create complex systems for businesses to
interpret. The legal practice market is constantly evolving and for partners the challenge remains one of managing internal
resources whilst balancing the demands of clients. As the finance industry shows signs of recovery in Asia, key hiring
managers in legal departments are faced with similar pressures.
The Aquis Search legal team provides private practice and in-house opportunities for applicants. We work with applicants
who are able to help build global legal infrastructure for our clients, and with clients who value the importance of these
systems in business. Our team services the full spectrum of law firms, domestic and international companies, as well as the
financial services sector.
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Risk
The Aquis Search Risk team delivers specialist recruitment solutions to the corporate, legal and financial markets. Our
experienced consultants have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the risk sector and provide a range of advisory
services including market insights and salary information.
Given the current economic climate much of the vocabulary of risk management is well established. At Aquis we
understand the need for organisations to create a culture where risk management: is part of the decision making process,
addresses uncertainty in a systematic and structured way, and creates value based on the best information available.
We work with applicants who have the ability to develop and implement risk management as an integral part of our client’s
organisational processes. The Aquis Search Risk team provides opportunities for dynamic and responsive professionals
to work with organisations that are building transparent and inclusive risk management cultures, capable of continual
improvement and enhancement.
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Compliance
In recent years we have witnessed dramatic changes to the compliance industry and we understand the strategic
importance of advisory compliance professionals. At Aquis we recognise some of the greatest concerns faced by the global
economy centre around responsibilities for leading enterprise compliance efforts. These responsibilities include: designing
and implementing internal controls, policies and procedures to assure compliance with applicable laws and regulations,
responding to requests for information from regulatory bodies and in light of the recent economic climate, managing
audits and investigations into regulatory and compliance lapses.
We understand the nature of developing regulatory frameworks and how these developments impact the human capital
demands of compliance departments. Our team appreciates how regulatory benchmarks require that adequate human
resources are maintained at the appropriate levels of expertise. We work with applicants that will bring a strong compliance
culture to our clients’ organisations and we are acutely aware how important it is to match our applicants with clients who
invest heavily in strong governance frameworks.
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Finance & Accounting
The Aquis Search Finance team delivers specialist recruitment solutions to the financial and corporate markets across Asia.
Our experienced consultants have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the finance industry and provide a range
of advisory services including market insights and expert advice to both clients and candidates.
We understand that finance is a core aspect of business management and as the number of financial vehicles and methods
of investment has increased, financial management has become more crucial and complex. At Aquis we appreciate that our
client’s fiscal goals and their use of appropriate financial vehicles are more important than ever. In the current climate the
importance of financial control has increased as companies face increased scrutiny and regulatory pressure.
We work with applicants that help our clients succeed and partner with the leading names within each of the industries we
serve and have developed long standing relationships with our clients.
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James Hickman
Managing Director
Investment Management
Hong Kong
+852 2537 0333
jameshickman@aquissearch.com
James Hickman is a co-founder and joint Managing Director of Aquis Search. He is responsible for establishing the firm’s Buy Side
coverage and leads the firm’s Alternative Investment practice in Asia/Pacific, spanning Private Equity, Real Estate, Special Situations,
Structured Finance, Public Investing and Distribution roles across all asset classes. He has particular focus partnering with specialist
Real Estate and Infrastructure Private Equity firms both for their principal needs as well with their portfolio companies, and he has also
completed numerous senior level searches with institutional, retail and wholesale businesses, placing senior personnel with global
asset management firms and hedge funds.
James has more than ten years of Human Resources experience and has worked with leading professional and financial services
sector companies as well as numerous Fortune 500 multinationals. He has extensive market knowledge and experience of boutique
and bulge bracket financial institutions in Asia and also has a highly developed functional expertise in recruiting senior Legal, Risk,
Compliance and Financial Officers.
Born in Hong Kong, James holds a Masters degree in Chinese Politics, Economics and Law from the University of Sydney and a Bachelors
(Hons) in Chinese History of Art and Archaeology from the School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of London. He has also
attended the East China University of Politics and Law in Shanghai and has industry qualifications in Human Resources and Training.
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Scott Harrison
Managing Director
In-house Legal & Compliance, Private Practice
Hong Kong
+852 2537 0333
scottharrison@aquissearch.com
Scott Harrison is a co-founder and joint Managing Director of Aquis Search and has over a dozen years recruitment experience
spanning Asia Pacific. He specialises in middle to senior level assignments for lawyers across both the private practice and in-house
financial markets. He has also worked for leading blue chip corporates across a wide range of industry sectors including consumer,
manufacturing and technology.
Scott leads a team of professional legal recruiters that specialise on these markets across the major cities in Asia. He has spent the last
ten in Asia where he has developed an exceptionally strong insight into the legal industry, fostered a breadth of client relationships
which has gained him access to talent at all levels. He has worked with major law firms, banks and leading multinationals and has
placed legal talent in a variety of roles and levels including partner and associate and heads of legal and in-house counsel.
Scott holds a Masters in Applied Psychology and trained as an organisational psychologist before moving into the recruitment
industry. He is particularly adept at matching personal style and cultural fit.
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Sam Dakin
Director
Risk Management
Singapore
+65 6438 5337
samdakin@aquissearch.com
Sam is focused on financial services risk management, leading the division across the Asia Pacific region from the Singapore office.
He has a strong track record of advising chief risk officers and heads of individual risk disciplines on attraction and retention of senior
personnel. His expertise broadly traverses the spectrum of risk and controls functions including, market, credit and operational risk,
internal audit, asset-liability management and liquidity risk, and he has successfully led risk management search assignments for
private banks, asset management firms, commercial and investment banks, and ratings agencies in Hong Kong, Singapore and the
PRC.
Sam began his executive search career in London, initially covering senior level banking and finance, recruiting qualified accountants
into investment banks. After three years, he moved internally to set up the risk and compliance division. He has lived in Asia since early
2010, originally based in Hong Kong, and relocated to Singapore in 2011 to drive the regional business. His early career includes three
years in audit and three years in banking finance with Fox-Pitt Kelton, and Barclay’s.
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Gareth Rees
Director
Finance & Accounting
Hong Kong
+852 2537 0333
garethrees@aquissearch.com
Gareth is a Director with the Finance & Accounting team. He is responsible for the recruitment of senior finance professionals in functions
covering Finance Control and Reporting, Management Reporting, Regulatory Reporting, Product Control and Valuation, Business
Analysis and Change Management, Fund Accounting and Administration and Tax into the Hong Kong and Singapore markets. He has
a particularly strong record with financial institutions businesses such as Investment Banking, Private Equity, Asset Management and
Private Banking.
Gareth has over ten years of search experience and has executed assignments in Europe, Asia and America. He started his recruitment
career with a national firm and focused on roles in the City of London with a broad range of clients.
He holds a Bachelors degree in Marketing & Psychology from De Montfort University in the United Kingdom.
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Theresa Pang
Associate Director
Legal & Compliance
Singapore
+65 6438 5337
theresapang@aquissearch.com
Theresa is an Associate Director at Aquis Search with responsibility for the development of the regulatory and corporate governance
functions in Singapore and South East Asia. She has a wealth of experience in the banking and corporate sectors and advises
decision makers within legal and compliance functions on key trends and market movements. Theresa has a successful track record
of placements, particularly within the financial services’ sector including investment banking, asset management, private banking,
consumer banking and insurance.
Previously Theresa worked with a global recruitment firm placing mid and senior professionals into risk and corporate governance
roles. Her specialisms include roles in legal, compliance, risk and audit and span both financial and non-financial multinationals. A
Singaporean, Theresa graduated from the Singapore Management University with a Bachelor of Business Management.
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Elaine Weng
Senior Consultant
Legal & Compliance
Hong Kong
+852 2537 0333
elaineweng@aquissearch.com
Elaine is a Senior Consultant covering In-house Legal & Compliance and Private Practice roles across Greater China. She has over five
years recruitment experience and brings a wealth of relationships and networks to her role with Aquis. She has placed a variety of
Counsels, Regulatory and Compliance professionals as well as more traditional Associate roles within major UK and US firms. Prior
to her current role Elaine worked with a global legal recruitment firm and she has also previously worked in a recruitment role with a
premier international law firm in Shanghai. She has spent the majority of her career working the China legal market from Shanghai
and Beijing before relocating to Hong Kong.
Elaine holds an LLB degree from Shanghai University majoring in Intellectual Property Law. She speaks fluent English, Mandarin,
Shanghainese as well as conversational Spanish
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Ansir Mahmood
Senior Consultant
Legal & Compliance
Hong Kong
+852 2537 0333
ansirmahmood@aquissearch.com
Ansir is a Senior Consultant covering in-house legal and compliance where he focuses on roles within the corporate governance and
regulatory functions. He recruits for a variety of clients across both the financial services and corporate markets throughout Asia and
his experience extends across the full remit of the legal and compliance functions.
Ansir has in-depth knowledge of the talent available in Hong Kong and Singapore along with experience placing people into roles
across the region, including India. He began his career within a law firm in a support role where he gained in-depth experience of
working in practice.
Ansir holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Coventry University, is fluent in English, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and has
conversational Cantonese.
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Miriam Leung
Senior Consultant
Legal Private Practice
Hong Kong
+852 2537 0333
miriamleung@aquissearch.com
Miriam is responsible for the development and recruitment of Legal Private Practice for the firm. She covers all areas of practice for
lawyers from entry to senior levels for leading law firms across Asia Pacific region.
She has experience working with key decision makers across the region including Partners and Human Resources professionals. In
particular, her knowledge of the Greater China market has given her a great deal of success working with leading US firms in the
region. She is extremely well-informed about the legal market in Asia and has also recruited on the In-house Legal desk. Prior to
recruitment Miriam worked in a marketing role coordinating business related events for educational and non-profit programs and
campaigns.
Miriam obtained her degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Toronto and has also completed legal courses with the
Manchester Metropolitan University. She is fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
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Eileen Wang
Senior Consultant
Legal & Compliance
Hong Kong
+852 2537 0333
eileenwang@aquissearch.com
Eileen is a Senior Consultant covering in-house legal and compliance with a particular focus on Greater China. She has a strong
network of relationships across the PRC and actively represents a number of international businesses developing their infrastructure in
the legal and compliance functions. Her experience in recruiting Counsels at all levels has given her a strong understanding of current
market conditions in China and has resulted in a proven track record in a very complex market.
She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Business from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and remains based in Hong Kong. She
has also spent time at the Pace University in New York and is a Certified Practitioner of NLP. Eileen is a native Mandarin speaker and is
fluent in English and Cantonese.
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Lyndaine Demetilla
Senior Consultant
Investment Management
Hong Kong
+852 2537 0333
lyndainedemetilla@aquissearch.com
Lyndaine is a Senior Consultant responsible for mid to senior level hiring within the Investment Management industry across the Asia
Pacific region. She has excellent experience within financial services and has recruited for numerous high profile decision makers
with leading Asset Management firms in Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan. Before relocating to Hong Kong Lyndaine spent
more than five years in Singapore. In her last position she worked with a specialist Executive Search firm focused on roles for Asset
Management, Hedge Fund, Private Equity and Venture Capital firms. She has particularly strong relationships with Sovereign Wealth
Funds, Pension Funds and Insurance companies and has also focused on Equity and Fixed Income Institutional Sales roles, as well
as Real Estate Investment positions. Prior to starting her career in Executive Search worked as a Marketing Executive with a global
insurance company and began her career as a Relationship Manager in a leading global bank.
Lyndaine holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Management from the University of the Philippines.
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Jenny Di
Consultant
Finance & Accounting
Singapore
+65 6438 5337
jennydi@aquissearch.com
As a Consultant at Aquis Search, Jenny focuses primarily on mid to senior level hires in Finance & Accountancy within Financial
Services. Using her track record of successfully placing multinational talent in both Singapore and Shanghai Jenny further strengthens
the Aquis team as a truly consultative provider to both clients and candidates alike. Her experience in recruiting finance professionals
at all levels has given her a strong understanding of a competitive and often complex market place.
She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Business in her native China and moved abroad to study in the United Kingdom, obtaining a
Master’s degree in Financial Management from the University of Glasgow. Jenny speaks Mandarin and English at native level and
has worked in the UK, China and Singapore giving her the broad cultural understanding.
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Jack Wong
Consultant
Legal & Compliance
Singapore
+65 6438 5337
jackwong@aquissearch.com
Jack is a Consultant with the Legal and Compliance team primarily focused on mid to senior level positions in Financial Services. He
has a track record of successful placements within a wide variety of functions and industries, including: Equity and Credit Analysts,
Institutional Sales, Compliance Managers, Legal Counsel, Product Development, and numerous Relationship Management roles for
Wealth Management.
Prior to moving to Singapore, Jack completed an MBA at National University and a Bachelor of Business Administration (Marketing) at
Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He is fluent in English and Mandarin.
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Gordon Kwong
Consultant
Finance & Accounting
Hong Kong
+852 2537 0333
gordonkwong@aquissearch.com
Gordon is a Consultant with the Finance & Accounting team based in Hong Kong. He is responsible for research and the recruitment
of Junior to Mid-level finance professionals in Finance & Accounting teams covering Finance Control and Reporting, Management
Reporting, Regulatory Reporting, Product Control and Valuation, Business Analysis and Change Management, Fund Accounting and
Administration and Tax into the Hong Kong and Singapore markets. He has extensive experience and knowledge of recruitment
in Financial Services having begun his recruitment career at a top boutique recruitment firm specializing in placing Front Office
professionals within Corporate Finance and Capital Markets.
Gordon was born in Hong Kong and raised in Australia, he holds a Bachelor Degree in Informatics, Human Resources & Philosophy
from the University of Sydney and speaks English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
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Vanessa Lam
Consultant
Risk Management
Singapore
+65 6438 5337
vanessalam@aquissearch.com
Vanessa is a Senior Consultant within the Risk Management division, covering the full spectrum of Risk functions for financial services
industries across Asia.
Since 2009, Vanessa has focused on Banking & Financial Services recruitment, predominantly in the Risk Management space. She has
successfully made placements in Credit, Market and Operational Risk for a range of financial services institutions across corporate,
private and investment banking.
Prior to covering Banking & Financial Services recruitment Vanessa spent two years specialising in Accounting & Finance hiring for
well-known multi-national companies in Singapore and Asia Pacific.
Vanessa is Singaporean and holds a BSC in Accounting and Law from the London School of Economics.
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Yeca Zhu
Consultant
Legal, Compliance and Private Practice
Shanghai
+86 21 5283 2077
yecazhu@aquissearch.com
Yeca is a Consultant covering Private Practice and In-house Legal recruitment across Greater China. Based in Shanghai she is part of a
regional recruitment team conducting searches for Counsels and Associates at all levels. She has particularly rich experience working
with law firms and has also worked extensively with European and US MNCs in China. She has lived and worked in both Beijing and
Shanghai and maintains long term relationships with clients and candidates alike, paying continuous attention to their development.
Yeca obtained her LLB Degree from Southwest University of Political Science and Law. She is a native Mandarin speaker, fluent in
English.
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Sherry Xu
Consultant
Legal, Compliance and Private Practice
Hong Kong
+852 2537 0333
sherryxu@aquissearch.com
Sherry is a Consultant covering the in-house Legal & Compliance and Private Practice markets across Greater China. Based in
Hong Kong and working with the regional recruitment team, her main focus is to assist clients recruiting Counsels, Associates and
Compliance professionals across the mid and junior levels. Sherry has a strong understanding of the PRC legal market and is building
a broad network of relationship across Shanghai and Beijing. She spends a significant amount of her time getting to know each and
every applicant she represents.
Sherry obtained her LLB degree with honours from Jinan University in Guangzhou, and an LLM degree from the Chinese University of
Hong Kong. Sherry is a native Mandarin speaker and is fluent in both Cantonese and English.
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Contact Us
For further information please contact Aquis Search
Hong Kong:
19/F, Kailey Tower, 16 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong
+852 2537 0333
hongkong@aquissearch.com
Singapore:
#05-04, 137 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068602
+65 6438 5337
singapore@aquissearch.com
Shanghai:
Room 1809B 18/F, Suite 01, OCN 699, Nanjing West Road, Jing an District Shanghai, PRC 200041
+86 21 5283 2077
shanghai@aquissearch.com