Permal Group has appointed of Professor Zhiwu Chen (pictured), Professor of Finance at Yale University, as Chief Adviser. This is a consultancy role, working closely with Permal’s Investment Committee, which is made-up of four senior members and eight portfolio managers, and governs the Group’s investment strategy allocations.
Professor Chen maintains his role as Professor of Finance at Yale University, a position he has held since 1999.
Professor Chen is a highly respected financial academic, having written numerous books and treatises on China’s economy, emerging markets, securities valuations and capital markets (detailed list below). Before Yale, he was Associate Professor of Finance at The Ohio State University, and has also been a Visiting Professor at Peking University and Tsinghua University. He has lectured on Emerging Markets, Hedge Funds, Financial Economics, Theory of Finance, Investments: and Theory and Practice, Options and Futures. He holds a Ph.D. Financial Economics from Yale University (December 1990).
Isaac Souede, Permal Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer says: “We are very pleased to bring on board Zhiwu, who is a tremendous asset to the Permal Group and brings an additional dimension to our business. China and the Far East has for a number of years been an important focus for our business and Zhiwu’s thinking and insight on these particular markets, as well as wider financial markets and investment, is hugely valuable. His considerable reputation, both as an academic and as an economist, is well deserved, and he is an excellent addition to our team.”
Professor Chen says: “This is a very exciting new opportunity for me. For almost 40-years, Permal has held a leading role in the alternatives sector and I am proud to be part of the Group. I have known Permal for a long time and its reputation as a macro investor is second to none, closely tying-in with my own thinking. As China continues to grow, both domestically and also on the world stage, it is increasingly important that asset managers have the best possible understanding of the market, its policies, and the likely impact on global markets.”
