Category: People Moves

Tsoi’s appointment marks Hang Lung’s first CEO change since Adriel Chan took over from his father Ronnie Chan as chairman in 2024 Hong Kong developer Hang Lung Properties has tapped Leo Tsoi Tak-lun, CEO of Toys ‘R’ Us Asia and former head of Starbucks China, as its new CEO and executive director.Tsoi will join Hang Lung Group and Hang Lung Properties on September 7 as CEO-designate and executive director ahead of formally assuming the CEO role on October 1. He succeeds Weber Lo Wai-pak, who retires on August 31 after serving as CEO for eight years, the developer said in a statement on Friday. Tsoi’s appointment marks Hang Lung’s first CEO change since Adriel Chan took over from his father Ronnie Chan as chairman in 2024, in the latest leadership shift at the family-controlled property group.Tsoi, 56, has more than three decades of experience in retail and business management in Asia. He currently serves as CEO of Toys ‘R’ Us Asia, where he expanded the brand’s appeal to the “kidult” segment, and revived business growth across China and Southeast Asia, according to Hang Lung. Prior to this role, he headed Starbucks China as CEO after holding several senior leadership positions in the US coffee giant. Earlier in his career, Tsoi “built a strong leadership foundation” at PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble Greater China, Hang Lung said. “As I step into this role, I look forward to partnering with our talented team to strengthen relationships with stakeholders, tenants, and customers,” Tsoi said in a statement. “I am grateful to Adriel and the boards for their trust, and to Weber for laying down such a strong foundation to build upon.” The developer announced the management shift in its half-year earnings released on July 31, noting that a CEO-designate had been appointed without naming the person. Chairman Adriel Chan said Tsoi’s track record of “driving growth through excellence” made him the best candidate to “lead Hang Lung into the next chapter”. At a press conference announcing the group’s earnings, Chan credited Lo with leading the company through “challenging” years, which included the Covid-19 pandemic and China’s prolonged property market downturn.Hang Lung announced the retirement of Lo in December. Source: https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3363316/hong-kongs-hang-lung-properties-names-former-starbucks-china-head-leo-tsoi-new-ceo

The Malaysia-based Islamic investment unit of Japan’s Nomura Asset Management Co Ltd has tapped Mohammad Hasif Ahmad Murad from BNP Paribas Asset Management as chief executive officer to lead it in the “next chapter of growth”. The unit, Nomura Islamic Asset Management, is the Japanese firm’s global hub for Islamic asset management. Mohammad Hasif succeeds Atsushi Ichii, who is now executive director of Nomura Asset Management Middle East. The Japanese asset manager announced the appointment in statement on August 5. Mohammad Hasif was head of global sukuk or Islamic bonds and emerging market fixed income at French asset manager BNP Paribas for three years, and worked for ten years at UK asset manager Aberdeen Group before that. He says in the statement that Nomura Islamic Asset Management “will remain committed to advancing Islamic investment solutions guided by the principles of shariah, delivering sustainable value for our investors, and contributing positively to the communities we serve”. Nomura Asset Management managed US$860 billion of assets as of end-March. Source: https://www.asiaasset.com/people-moves/nomura-islamic-asset-management-taps-mohammad-hasif-from-bnp-paribas-as-ceo/

Les Mills International has appointed Jason Paris as its new CEO with current leader Phillip Mills moving into a founder/director role. One of New Zealand’s most respected business leaders, Paris arrives with a proven track record of leading large customer-centric companies through growth and transformation across telecommunications, digital services and media. Alongside periods working in Europe, Paris has helped shape some of New Zealand’s most recognized brands, including leading One NZ’s transformation from Vodafone NZ to a proudly Kiwi brand, the Telecom to Spark transformation, and playing a key role in the development of digital content platforms such as TVNZ OnDemand. The appointment forms part of a planned leadership succession following Phillip Mills’ three-year commitment to lead the business as managing director through an important period of strategic and organizational development. During that time, the company stabilized and strengthened its operations, established a clear strategy, delivered strong financial performance and built an effective leadership team. With this three-year period now complete, Phillip will support Paris through the transition and continue to serve as founder/director, with operational leadership and decision-making passing to the incoming CEO. Paris, who will become CEO on October 6, said, “It’s an enormous privilege to be joining Les Mills International to help lead the next phase of growth. What Phillip, Jackie and the Mills family have built over many decades is one of New Zealand’s great business success stories. I’ve always admired New Zealand brands that have a real impact globally, and Les Mills International has done exactly that. It has an outstanding team, an iconic brand and an incredible opportunity ahead. Every great business I’ve worked in has one thing in common: obsession over the needs of the customer. Les Mills is a great example of this, with an incredible global network of Instructors, club partners and participants. I can’t wait to start learning from these amazing people and supporting their success as we accelerate our mission to create a fitter planet.” “Jason is an exceptional leader – truly as good as you get – and we’re delighted he’s decided to join us,” added Mills. “He brings deep commercial expertise, a modern leadership style, and a clear passion for building high-performing teams and strong cultures. I stepped back into the leadership of the business following the departure of our previous CEO, with a clear three-year commitment to complete a strategy reset and return the company to solid growth following the disruption COVID-19 caused across the global gym industry. With the company on a strong footing and well-positioned for further expansion, now is the right time for me to hand over leadership to an energetic new CEO who can take us into our next exciting chapter.” Away from work, Paris is a husband and father of three with a lifelong connection to sport and fitness. He is an avid sportsman and rugby league fan, who has been a member of Les Mills New Zealand gyms for many years, with a particular penchant for RPM classes. Source: https://clubsolutionsmagazine.com/2026/08/les-mills-international-appoints-new-ceo-jason-paris-to-drive-next-phase-of-growth/

Naulls altogether spent well over a decade and a half at McKinsey & Company across two stints in Australia and abroad, before joining Partners in Performance as chief financial officer in 2024 as the consultancy prepared for its sale to Accenture. His appointment as COO follows last year’s elevation of Robert Miano as chief, with Naulls to support a small national executive which further includes APAC chairman James Komninos alongside Andy Graham and more recent additions in Jessica Olivier and Dace Harris. Naulls external recruitment also perhaps marks a shift in approach at RSM, with the members of the national executive combining for more than a century of experience at the century-old accounting and consulting firm. A background at McKinsey & Company or any of the major management and strategy consultancies is also a rarity for a mid-tier top-level senior appointee. New Zealand-raised with a bachelor of business in accounting and tourism from the University of Auckland, Naulls first joined McKinsey in the UK in 2003 after earlier time spent at Linklaters, before being quickly being promoted to director of finance for the firm in the Middle East based in Dubai and later briefly in the same role for McKinsey’s Greater China operations out of Shanghai. A stint as strategic development leader at Dairy Innovation Australia followed, before Naulls rejoined McKinsey in Melbourne in 2015, later appointed Asia regional finance & pricing manager and ultimately director of finance for Australia and New Zealand ahead of joining Partners in Performance in early 2024 – with the firm famously founded by McKinsey alum Skipp Williamson. While Naulls also led the firm’s global IT and real estate functions in addition to finance, which included expansion into new markets, it seems pretty clear Naulls was chiefly brought in to work on the Accenture deal – later reported to be worth around $375 million and described at the time as one of the most significant in the Australian management consulting landscape in many years. Lest Naulls’ recruitment by RSM leads to any speculation amid competitor Grant Thornton’s upcoming private equity sale vote, Miano previously told the AFR; “We’re not contemplating it. If we have to reinvest dollars or people and resources, we have access to the required capital. We’ve prepared our 2030 strategy, and we believe we can achieve that with the current structure.” As to Naulls appointment; “Tim brings extensive experience leading operations, finance and large-scale transformation across complex professional services organisations. He is known for his ability to move between detailed operational issues and high-level strategy, and will work closely with our executive to ensure RSM continues to run efficiently and effectively as we continue to grow.” Source: https://www.consultancy.com.au/news/12424/rsm-recruits-tim-naulls-as-chief-operating-officer-for-australia

John Sams took over as KPMG Australia’s CFO in October 2025, before taking on the additional responsibilities of COO in June 2026. KPMG Australia has named John Sams as its new CEO, with the appointment effective immediately. The decision was finalised after a panel reviewed internal candidates, executives from KPMG’s global network and external applicants before finalising the decision. The new CEO takes over the helm after former chief Andrew Yates resigned in May over mishandled whistleblower claims. KPMG independent chairman Michael Ebeid, who was part of the selection panel, said: “The Board believes that John has the strong attributes required to be the firm’s successful leader – including agility, courage and integrity. “John has a clear mandate from the Board: to strengthen leadership and culture, improve confidence with our people, clients, regulators, government and the Parliament, and focus KPMG on the areas where it can make the greatest contribution to our clients, people and stakeholders.” Sams has been KPMG Australia’s chief financial officer (CFO) since October 2025 and, from June 2026, also held the role of chief operating officer (COO). He has been a partner at the company for more than ten years. Sams began his career at KPMG UK before moving to Australia, where he developed extensive experience advising on major infrastructure projects, providing commercial and financial guidance. He has more than 20 years of experience spanning tax, corporate finance and infrastructure advisory. Sams said: “I do not underestimate the task ahead but commit to our clients and people that I am prepared to be courageous, take the tough decisions and lead the changes we need to set us on the right path. “The firm fell short of the standards rightly expected of us, and the accountability for these failures will continue to be implemented. We have serious work to do on our culture, our leadership and our governance and it will take resolve and endurance. “Despite everything we have faced so far, I am optimistic about the future, otherwise I would never have taken on this role. While the challenges are real, so too are the strengths of this firm and I am equally clear about the opportunities to strengthen KPMG for the future.” Source: https://www.internationalaccountingbulletin.com/news/kpmg-australia-appoints-new-ceo/?cf-view

Swiss Re has appointed Mr Benjamin “Ben” Savill as CEO Australia and New Zealand, effective 1 October 2026, and subject to regulatory approval. Mr Savill brings nearly 30 years of industry experience across a range of markets, most recently as CEO Pacific for Guy Carpenter. Prior to that, he worked with Convex Insurance, Fidelis Insurance and Amlin, according to his LinkedIn profile. He succeeds Mr Trent Thomson, who is moving into the role of Global Head Specialty Reinsurance for Swiss Re. Source: http://asiainsurancereview.com/News/View-NewsLetter-Article/id/96379/Type/eDaily/ANZ-Swiss-Re-appoints-new-CEO

SAN DIEGO – ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPRY) announced Monday that co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Richard Lowenthal stepped down from his position effective July 6, 2026, according to a press release statement. The Board of Directors appointed Donn Casale, who previously served as President, as CEO and Director effective today. Lowenthal co-founded the biopharmaceutical company in 2015. The leadership transition comes as the company trades at $8.19 per share with a market capitalization of $820 million, though the stock has declined 51% over the past year. According to InvestingPro data, the company remains unprofitable with revenue of $99 million in the last twelve months. Casale brings over 25 years of biopharmaceutical business and commercial leadership experience. He previously served as Chief Commercial Officer at Dynavax Technologies, where he built the U.S. commercial infrastructure for the hepatitis B vaccine HEPLISAV-B. The product grew from launch to more than $300 million in annualized revenue and over 50% U.S. market share before Sanofi’s $2.2 billion acquisition of Dynavax. Before Dynavax, Casale held leadership positions at Depomed in marketing and sales operations. He spent 14 years at Merck in roles across sales, marketing, and corporate strategy, contributing to launches of vaccines including ZOSTAVAX, GARDASIL, ROTATEQ, and PROQUAD. Pratik Shah, chairman of the Board of Directors, stated that Lowenthal was integral to guiding the company from development to establishing neffy as a treatment for adults and children with Type 1 allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. ARS Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company that commercializes neffy, an epinephrine nasal spray indicated in the U.S. for emergency treatment of Type I allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in adult patients and pediatric patients who weigh 33 lbs. or greater. The product is also approved in the EU and China under different trade names. InvestingPro analysis suggests the stock appears undervalued at current levels, with analysts setting price targets between $24 and $32. While the company is quickly burning through cash, it maintains liquid assets that exceed short-term obligations. For deeper insights, investors can access a comprehensive Pro Research Report covering SPRY and 1,400+ other US equities. Source: https://www.investing.com/news/company-news/ars-pharmaceuticals-names-donn-casale-as-new-ceo-93CH-4780148

Ian Morrice, the former CEO of The Warehouse Group and Australian grocery wholesaler Metcash, has joined KMD Brands as a non-executive director. Effective immediately, Morrice joins the owner of Kathmandu, Rip Curl, and Oboz shortly after it completed the latest phase in its fiscal reset. With 30 years’ experience in the retail industry across New Zealand, Australia, the US, and the UK, Morrice joins just one week after the NZX-listed retailer completed a share consolidation that reduced its share count from 1.8 billion to around 72 million. This happened last week when it converted every 25 KMD shares held by an individual shareholder into a single share to clean up a diluted capital structure. This dilution came after KMD’s emergency capital raise – assisted by Goldman Sachs – in which the retailer sold around $55 million worth of shares at a 70 per cent discount, following another period in the red on its balance sheet. “KMD Brands owns a portfolio of highly regarded outdoor and lifestyle brands with significant potential,” Morrice said. “Throughout my career I have worked with retail and consumer businesses to improve performance, strengthen customer relevance and deliver sustainable growth. I look forward to contributing that experience as the group delivers its next level strategy and develops opportunities to create long-term value for shareholders.” Philip Bowman, the group’s recently appointed chair after David Kirk’s resignation, said that Morrice will help move KMD forward. “We are delighted to welcome Ian to the KMD Brands board,” he added. “Ian has an outstanding track record leading and transforming major retail and consumer businesses across New Zealand and Australia.” “His deep operational and strategic expertise, together with his extensive governance experience and strong focus on shareholder value creation, will further strengthen the board as we continue to execute our next level strategy and evaluate other opportunities to accelerate value generation for shareholders.” Source: https://insideretail.co.nz/2026/07/07/former-warehouse-group-ceo-joins-kmd-brands-board/

Australian cultivated meat leader Vow has named Alex Andrews as its new CEO, with co-founder George Peppou becoming an executive director, as the startup cuts jobs and eyes new verticals for its cell-culture technology.A year after rolling out its cultured quail in restaurants across Australia, food tech startup Vow has seen a shake-up in the C-suite. Co-founder George Peppou, who was the CEO until last month, has stepped into an executive director role. He has been replaced by Alex Andrews, who had joined the company as its chief of staff in January. Vow also laid off several staff members in May, nearly a year-and-a-half after cutting 25 jobs due to the slow pace of regulatory approvals in several markets. The reshuffling at the top comes as Peppou leads a new stealth startup spun out of Vow, which will build on the company’s cellular agriculture technology to access markets beyond food. Founded in 2019, Vow has been a trailblazer in the cultivated meat industry. It made international headlines after appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for its experimental woolly mammoth meatball in 2023, and has always taken a taste-led, premium approach to the technology. Its unique business strategy has enabled it to raise $55M to date, and become the first startup approved to sell cultivated meat in three countries. Vow’s signature product, a cultured quail, received the green light in Singapore in 2024, where it was soon rolled out into restaurants as part of parfait and foie gras dishes. A year later, the company obtained approval in Australia and New Zealand, which was followed by a launch into both foodservice and direct-to-consumer retail. Its regulatory success was built on a host of technical milestones. Last year, Vow’s cell cultivation capacity was extended to 35,000 litres within its second factory, which it says was 20 to 50 times cheaper to build than competitors. The firm operates the largest food-grade cell culture bioreactor at 22,000 litres, and claims to have completed the largest cultivated meat harvest in history (1,500 kg). Currently, it is producing over 5,000 kg of cultivated meat per week. “Last year, Vow had a massive breakthrough on production scale and economics – now by far world-leading in low-cost cell culture,” Peppou told Green Queen, echoing a statement sent to Forbes Australia, which first reported the news. “As a result of this, we have lots of new opportunities outside of food. I and a small team have spun out to a new company focused on one of these.”The decision to appoint Andrews as Vow’s new commander-in-chief was spearheaded by Peppou, who told Green Queen that he “asked her to step into the CEO role to grow multiple new verticals, and [provide] contract manufacturing to cultured meat players globally.” He confirmed that he is still “deeply involved” at Vow as executive director, adding: “Earlier this year, we shifted from in-house food production to co-manufacturing for finished foods, and a small number of roles were impacted.” These follow the layoffs from 2025, which affected 30% of Vow’s staff across R&D, sales and communications. At the time, Peppou described them as coming from a “position of strength as the industry leader, not a position of weakness”. Vow has not revealed which new markets it’s targeting or the vertical Peppou’s spinout is focused on. But cell culture tech has a wide range of applications beyond food, including cosmetics, leather, and life sciences. Other firms have chosen to diversify too. US cultivated meat pioneer Upside Foods – the best-funded startup in the industry – branched out with a new division targeting the life sciences sector, Lucius Labs, which will offer an array of media formulations, buffers and stem cell formulations to accelerate companies’ R&D and help lower their costs. And last year, UK firm Uncommon Bio pivoted its business strategy by selling off its cultivated meat business to Vow and the now-defunct Meatable and focusing on therapeutics instead. Source: https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/vow-australia-ceo-layoffs-lab-grown-cultivated-meat-startup-cultured-quail/

Berchtold previously served as chief commercial officer at the Melbourne-based retailer, overseeing supply chain for the last 12 months. With experience in e-commerce, digital transformation, and brand curation, the executive spent time at Australian e-commerce platform The Iconic, as well as a stint as managing director of sporting goods retailer, Rebel Sport. Serving as the company’s first-ever CEO in David Jones’ 188-year history, Berchtold will be tasked with “sharpening and accelerating the execution of the company’s five-year Inspire 30 transformation plan,” according to a press release, including the actioning of “operating model improvements for greater cost efficiency and capability, enhancing the commercial portfolio for better margins and brand strength, and reigniting the David Jones brand through its customer offering and store network.” Coinciding with the appointment, David Jones also announced the completion of a new three-year, asset-backed lending facility with Hilco, which looks to strengthen “the balance sheet and provides financial flexibility to support the company’s growth initiatives and supplier partnerships,” added the company, which was acquired by Anchorage Capital Partners in 2023. “The refinancing allows us to stabilise and reset the business with a strong focus on growing our strategic core and modernising our technology and digital platforms,” said Berchtold. “My aim is to further improve customer experience by curating our brand so that our strategy is aligned with our core values and the needs of our customers. I plan to lead our incredible team of people with decisive and results-oriented action.” David Jones swung to a $95 million loss in 2025, as the cost-of-living softened consumer demand for its luxury clothing and accessories. Sales fell 8.7 per cent to $2 billion during the 12 months. Source: https://ww.fashionnetwork.com/news/Australia-s-david-jones-names-new-ceo,1848014.html