Key Takeaways
- • Kenno, a Singapore-based asset manager focused on Vietnamese equities, has appointed Chris Hunt as chief investment officer, based in Singapore.
- • Hunt brings more than 30 years of research and investment experience, having led pan-regional equity research teams at Macquarie, CIMB, and HSBC, and most recently served as head of research at HSC Securities in Ho Chi Minh City.
- • The appointment follows Vietnam's reclassification by FTSE Russell to Secondary Emerging Market status in September 2026, with index inclusion being phased in through September 2027.
- • Kenno, founded in Finland in 2014 and headquartered in Singapore with a Hanoi research office, sees the reclassification as an opportunity to broaden its international investor base.
Summary
Kenno, a Singapore-based independent asset manager focused on Vietnamese equities, has appointed Chris Hunt as chief investment officer, based in Singapore. According to the firm, the appointment is part of an effort to strengthen its investment capabilities following Vietnam's elevation to emerging market status by FTSE Russell.
Hunt has more than 30 years of research and investment experience, including senior roles in Asia. He previously led pan-regional equity research teams for Macquarie, CIMB, and HSBC, and has lived and worked in eight countries across the region. Most recently he served as head of research for HSC Securities in Ho Chi Minh City. Kenno CEO and co-founder Mikael Nastamo said Hunt brings extensive experience leading research teams across Asia and a deep understanding of Vietnam.
The firm linked the appointment to FTSE Russell's reclassification of Vietnam to Secondary Emerging Market status in September 2026, with index inclusion being phased in through September 2027. Kenno, which has invested in Vietnam since 2015, views the change as an opportunity to broaden its international investor base. The firm was founded in Finland in 2014, is headquartered in Singapore, and maintains a research office in Hanoi. It manages capital for professional investors in Europe and Asia and holds a Capital Markets Services licence for fund management issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
The article also notes broader Finland and Vietnam financial links: in late September, Finnfund signed a $15 million senior loan agreement with EVF General Finance, a Vietnamese non-bank financial institution lending to small and medium-sized enterprises. Separately, in September, Citigroup and HDBank agreed to expand banking and financial services under a new pact. Wealth managers and private banks, including HSBC and Switzerland's Bordier & Cie, are adding Vietnam coverage as the country's affluent middle class grows.
Hunt has more than 30 years of research and investment experience, including senior roles in Asia. He previously led pan-regional equity research teams for Macquarie, CIMB, and HSBC, and has lived and worked in eight countries across the region. Most recently he served as head of research for HSC Securities in Ho Chi Minh City. Kenno CEO and co-founder Mikael Nastamo said Hunt brings extensive experience leading research teams across Asia and a deep understanding of Vietnam.
The firm linked the appointment to FTSE Russell's reclassification of Vietnam to Secondary Emerging Market status in September 2026, with index inclusion being phased in through September 2027. Kenno, which has invested in Vietnam since 2015, views the change as an opportunity to broaden its international investor base. The firm was founded in Finland in 2014, is headquartered in Singapore, and maintains a research office in Hanoi. It manages capital for professional investors in Europe and Asia and holds a Capital Markets Services licence for fund management issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
The article also notes broader Finland and Vietnam financial links: in late September, Finnfund signed a $15 million senior loan agreement with EVF General Finance, a Vietnamese non-bank financial institution lending to small and medium-sized enterprises. Separately, in September, Citigroup and HDBank agreed to expand banking and financial services under a new pact. Wealth managers and private banks, including HSBC and Switzerland's Bordier & Cie, are adding Vietnam coverage as the country's affluent middle class grows.
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