Business Development
State Street Global Advisors, the asset management arm of State Street Corporation, announced today the appointment of Um Tae-jong as head of Korea. In this newly created role, Dr. Um will lead SSGA’s business strategy and future development in Korea.
Dr. Um joined SSGA from MSCI Korea, where he was managing director and head of Korea, overseeing the firm’s businesses across indexes, ESG, IPD, Barra and Risk Matrix. Based in Seoul, Dr. Um reports to June Wong, head of Asia ex Japan at SSGA.
“We are very excited to welcome someone of Dr. Um’s caliber to our team,” said Wong. “Dr. Um brings immense value to our business given his very strong investment and technical background, as well as his experience in strategic business management. His exceptionally strong relationships with pension funds, central banks and sovereign wealth funds will also enhance SSGA’s ability to offer more value-added services to our clients. He will be instrumental in driving our strategic initiatives as we grow our business in Korea.”
Dr. Um has over 25 years of experience in the asset management industry. Prior to MSCI Korea, he served as chief investment officer for global investment at Samsung Asset Management, managing portfolios for pensions and institutional investors across traditional and alternative asset classes. Previously, he was the head of the International Investment Division at Samsung Fire and Marine, and head of investment at Continuum Management in New York.
He earned a PhD in economics from Cornell University in the United States and a BA in economics from Seoul National University.
“Korea is an important market for SSGA in Asia, and we are committed to strengthening our team on the ground and delivering best-in-class service and solutions to our Korean clients. Dr. Um’s leadership will be invaluable in the next phase of our business expansion,” added Wong.