Mahen Nathan

Senior investment management executive and APAC regional platform builder with 25+ years of institutional leadership across two complementary disciplines: founding and scaling multi-market investment platforms from inception, and driving institutional capital formation at scale. As CEO and Regional Head at Société Générale Asset Management (SGAM), delivered one of the most significant APAC asset management growth stories of that era — scaling the regional platform from US$300M to US$15B AUM across 8 markets — combining hands-on platform architecture with systematic institutional fundraising from sovereign wealth funds, central banks, national pension funds, and insurers across 15+ APAC markets. Repeated platform-building discipline as CEO of Russell Investments ASEAN/HK/Taiwan/India, as Southeast Asia Business Head at Deutsche Asset Management, and as founder-CEO of two MAS-licensed Singapore investment entities.

Deep alternatives and private markets expertise spanning multiple roles: originated and executed real estate and private equity co-investments through LP structures as a principal investor; built and led APAC’s first dedicated alternatives manager research capability at Russell Investments — a function that existed globally within the firm but had no APAC presence until successfully advocated for and established; pioneered the first insurance-linked investment fund (ILP) structures in Hong Kong and Singapore at SGAM; and structured alternative product platforms including hedge fund-of-funds, structured credit, and private equity joint ventures across India, China, Korea, and Taiwan. Currently advising on private equity, private credit, and real assets portfolio strategy for a UHNW family office principal.

Brings the governance, regulatory, and organisational authority of a founding regional CEO: Responsible Officer across 6 APAC jurisdictions (MAS, SFC, ASIC, FSC, Luxembourg, Thailand); Chair, Regional Asia Pacific Board SGAM; Director across 5 APAC jurisdictions; Investment Committee Member, SG Private Bank. Built, led, and developed diverse teams of 120+ professionals across 8 markets with full P&L accountability (US$15M+ annual operating budget), sustaining 95–100% institutional client retention across all market cycles through disciplined investment platform management and proactive stakeholder engagement.

Languages: English (native), Mandarin (conversational), Bahasa Malay/Indonesian (fluent), Tamil (fluent).

Principal & Strategic Advisor · Family Office · Singapore Jul 2022 – Present

• Lead investment strategy and portfolio management for UHNW family office principal across multi-asset, multi-jurisdiction portfolio — covering public equities, private equity, venture capital, private credit, and real assets in APAC and global markets; act as investment fiduciary with full accountability for portfolio strategy, allocation decisions, and ongoing governance.
• Evaluate and select alternative fund managers across private equity, private credit, and real asset strategies from a sophisticated LP allocator’s perspective — assessing investment process, fund terms, portfolio construction, and track record; conduct LP agreement review and ongoing fund performance monitoring.
• Manage all investor communications, reporting, and governance disciplines across multi-jurisdiction structures (Singapore, Hong Kong, Cayman, BVI); coordinate with legal, tax, compliance, and fund administrator counterparts ensuring rigorous documentation and audit-ready standards.
• Provide strategic advisory on wealth platform structuring, investment infrastructure, and APAC market opportunities; maintain active engagement with the regional investment management, alternatives, and financial services ecosystem.

Founder & Director · Canvas Lifestyle Pte Ltd · Singapore May 2014 – Jul 2022

• Founded and managed private investment platform for 15+ UHNW family offices and institutional co-investors — originating, evaluating, and executing real estate and private equity investments through LP vehicle structures as a principal investor, deploying own and co-investor capital across co-investment opportunities (US$80M+ AUM).
• Originated investment opportunities across real estate and private equity; led due diligence, deal evaluation, LP documentation, and transaction execution; provided ongoing oversight of investment performance, distributions, and portfolio governance across all positions over the full investment lifecycle.
• Delivered 140% EBITDA growth and 100% investor retention over 8-year period through disciplined investment selection, proactive LP communications, and rigorous governance standards; maintained zero compliance issues across 6 jurisdictions throughout entire operating period.
• Built and managed all operational, legal, and compliance infrastructure — including KYC/AML onboarding, regulatory filings, investor reporting, and documentation — demonstrating the operational discipline and governance rigour of an institutional investment manager in a lean, high-accountability environment.

Chief Executive Officer — ASEAN, Hong Kong, Taiwan & India

· Russell Investments · Singapore Oct 2009 – Oct 2012

• Led full-function regional business across 4 APAC markets (US$1.5B+ AUM, 50+ staff) with full P&L accountability — driving commercial growth, institutional client coverage, regulatory compliance, and operational delivery across Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and India.
• Identified the absence of alternatives manager research capability in APAC as a strategic gap and successfully advocated to global leadership to establish the function regionally; built and led Russell’s first dedicated APAC alternatives manager research team — designing proprietary manager evaluation frameworks, due diligence processes, and performance monitoring infrastructure for hedge fund, private equity, and alternative mandates.
• Launched 12-strategy ETF and index equities platform generating US$800M+ institutional inflows; established Taiwan JV (SinoPac Bank) from commercial negotiation through regulatory approval, operational launch, and full client ramp — achieving US$500M+ AUM in 18 months.
• Managed senior institutional client relationships across SWFs, pension funds, central banks, and family offices in 4 markets; led all investment committee presentations, RFP/DDQ delivery, and mandate retention processes; maintained Responsible Officer status across MAS, SFC, and FSC.
• Built and led teams of 50+ including CIO, Head of Distribution, and COO functions; recruited and developed high-performance culture with clear commercial accountability and strong client service standards across all markets.

Founder & Chief Executive Officer · Wealth Management Asia Pte Ltd · Singapore Jan 2006 – Sep 2009

• Founded and built asset management firm from inception — obtained regulatory licence, designed operating model, established governance infrastructure, and built client base to US$60M in discretionary portfolio mandates across 8 UHNW family office clients.
• Served as primary investment adviser and fiduciary for all client relationships — managing portfolio construction, investment selection, performance evaluation, and full client advisory cycle with rigorous documentation and MAS compliance discipline; maintained Appointed Representative status with zero regulatory issues.
• Led all business development, client acquisition, and mandate management independently — demonstrating the entrepreneurial commercial capability and governance discipline required to build a regulated investment management business from a standing start.

CEO & Regional Head / Regional Head of Business — Asia Pacific ex-Japan

· Société Générale Asset Management (SGAM) · Singapore Jan 1998 – Dec 2005

• Founded and scaled SGAM’s Asia Pacific investment platform as CEO and Regional Head — growing from US$300M to US$15B AUM across 8 markets (India, China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Australia) over 7 years.

Built the complete regional platform from inception: operating model design, regulatory licensing across 6 jurisdictions, local team recruitment, product development, distribution partnerships, and institutional client acquisition across all markets simultaneously.

• Led institutional fundraising and capital formation across public and private markets — originating and sustaining C-suite relationships (CIO, CEO, CFO) with GIC, Temasek, MAS reserves management, EPF, KWAP, JAMSOSTEK, NPS Korea, CPF, regional central banks, and major APAC insurers; served as primary senior investment representative for all strategic mandates; achieved 65%+ finalist conversion rate in competitive institutional searches.
• Drove alternatives and private markets capability build-out across the APAC franchise: pioneered first ILP (insurance-linked investment fund) structures in Hong Kong and Singapore; established JV private market manufacturing platforms in India (IDFC/SBI), China (Fortune SGAM), Korea, and Taiwan (SinoPac/TIIM); built hedge fund-of-funds, structured credit, and private equity product capabilities across the full APAC alternatives spectrum.
• Structured and executed bancassurance wealth distribution partnerships with Citibank, HSBC, UOB, and DBS — generating US$4B+ in distribution AUM across 8 markets; designed and launched first DPM platforms in Hong Kong and Singapore; pioneered first structured equity products and ILPs across APAC wealth channels.
• Served as Chargé d’Affaires and senior firm representative in Singapore and across APAC — primary regulatory contact for MAS, SFC, ASIC, FSC, and regional equivalents; chaired Regional Asia Pacific Board; served as Director across Luxembourg, HK, Taiwan, Thailand, and Australia SGAM entities; represented the firm with regulators, government bodies, industry associations, and financial media.
• Built, led, and developed diverse teams of 120+ professionals across 8 countries with full P&L accountability (US$15M+ annual operating budget); established high-performance investment culture across all markets; sustained 95–100% institutional client retention across all market cycles through disciplined platform management and client stewardship.

Southeast Asia Business Head · Deutsche Asset Management (Morgan Grenfell) · Singapore 1993 – 1998

• Built Deutsche AM’s Southeast Asia investment business from ground up across 4 markets — Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand — as founding regional head; established operating infrastructure, obtained regulatory approvals, and originated institutional client relationships generating US$1.5B+ in mandates from regional central banks and pension funds.
• Developed deep Southeast Asian institutional market expertise and investor relationships across the region’s leading official institutions — building the foundational APAC network and market knowledge that underpinned 25 years of subsequent regional leadership.
• Championed cross-functional collaboration between Frankfurt HQ investment and product teams and APAC distribution operations; developed market entry strategies adapted to diverse local regulatory environments across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Bachelor of Social Sciences — Double Degree in Economics & Political Science, National University of Singapore