In a new mChats, Benjamin Williams, Head of Business Development, APAC, discusses how Millennium approaches investment talent across the Asia-Pacific, and why the firm’s growth story in the region matters for investment professionals.
What has surprised you most in your role building out Millennium’s investment talent base in APAC?
Across the region, we are finding exceptional investment professionals who are drawn to what Millennium offers: a platform that gives them the resources, infrastructure and collaborative environment to do their best work. What has surprised me is how consistently our conversations come back to the same themes: access to advanced tools and technology, the ability to focus on their respective strategies, and being part of a firm that empowers their success. What resonates most is that Millennium has the scale and capabilities of a global firm but operates with the agility and local understanding that matters in each market. That combination is powerful and it comes through in every conversation.
What does it take to identify investment talent across a region as diverse as APAC?
It starts with being deeply embedded in the region and understanding where talent pools exist. Our Business Development team brings both deep domain expertise and a genuine understanding of the regional nuances that shape how each market operates. We engage with investment professionals focused on markets across the broader region, including Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China and India. The diversity of APAC is one of its greatest strengths. There is a remarkable depth of investment talent to be found, and our job is to find it and bring it to Millennium.
What does Millennium’s growth story in APAC say about the opportunity for investment professionals in the region?
The Asia-Pacific region is a genuine priority for the firm. Hong Kong in particular has been a significant area of focus. The growth we have seen reflects both the quality of investment thinking and the breadth of what APAC offers as a market. For professionals who are looking for a firm that takes the region seriously, that growth story matters.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Be open-minded: to people, to new experiences and to opportunities. You will never know what is around the corner, and if you view each challenge as an opportunity, you can achieve so much more.
