T. Rowe Price appoints local operations chief

T. Rowe Price, the global asset manager with over US$1.3 trillion in assets under management, has appointed a regional operating chief who will relocate to Sydney from the London office.

Financial services and operations professional Tim Chamberlain is the new Asia Pacific regional chief operating officer, effective next month.

In his new role, Chamberlain will oversee the asset manager's regional offices and serve as a key advisor and business partner to regional leaders and senior executives.

He currently serves as general manager for T. Rowe Price's chief data office, a role he has held since joining the firm in April 2023.

Chamberlain has been interim chief of staff and general manager within the operations function.

Before joining T. Rowe Price, Chamberlain spent more than 16 years with S&P Global Ratings, holding several regional and global leadership roles in data, technology and operations.

These titles include Asia-Pacific operating chief in Singapore and chief of staff and global head of business management in London.

He departed the ratings agency to set up his own consultancy business specialising in operational and digital transformation.

Chamberlain earlier worked as a senior consultant and software developer at Davitt Krantz & Associates Management Consultants and as a systems and business analyst at IOOF Asset Management.

Previous roles include CGU Investment Management and London-based positions with Salomon Brothers Asset Management and Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank Investment Management International.

"Tim's data and operational experience, coupled with his understanding of the various local client landscapes will be a great addition to the region," said T. Rowe Price chief operating officer of Kimberly Johnson.

"He will be focused on building local teams that will help us drive operational excellence in a complex data environment while keeping the region connected in our global operating model."

T. Rowe Price's head of APAC distribution Elsie Chan also welcomed Chamberlain to the role and said his appointment reflected the firm's continued efforts to drive local empowerment and decision-making in the region.

"As we continue to build meaningful partnerships with our clients, Tim's appointment as APAC chief operating officer underscores our commitment to empowering our local teams to achieve operational excellence and deliver unparalleled client experiences," she added.

Chamberlain is the second executive to be brought to Australia from another major market.

Last December, Richard Coghlan was transferred from Japan to oversee the firm's multi-asset global investment strategies team on the ground in Australia.

Yet, T. Rowe Price's local distribution head Darren Hall said there is no deliberate plan to transfer staff.

He said with its importance within the wider group and its climate and lifestyle, Australia was an attractive destination for regional business heads.

Australia is the second largest market for T. Rowe Price in APAC behind Japan.

"Our Australian business is also one of seven markets that are part of T. Rowe Price's international growth initiative because of its growth potential and ability to meet financial intermediary and institutional clients' needs here," Hall said.

"For all these reasons many of our regional APAC business and function heads are based here."

He added that institutional clients were getting increasingly more complex and sophisticated, and being able to call on experienced executives enabled the Australian business to boost its support to these clients.