Global asset manager Standard Life Investments has bolstered its Asian private banking and wholesale distribution businesses with the appointment of new institutional head.

Virginia Devereux Wong assumes the newly-created role of head of institutional wholesale in Asia based in Hong Kong. In this role, she will be responsible for developing the firm's private banking and wholesale distribution operations and report to David Peng, the head of Asia.

Wong joins from Goldman Sachs Asset Management, where she led the sales and business development in fund distribution to private banks in Asia ex-Japan. Prior to that, she established the institutional and private banking distribution business relationships at SEI Investments in the region. She brings over 20 years of industry experience to her new role. 

The announcement follows the appointments of Xiaosong Zhang and FeiFei Zhu in July as investment director and Asia business development manager, respectively. Zhang was previously the head of the China structured business on Bank of America Merrill Lynch, while Zhu was vice president at the investment banking arm of Nomura. 

Edinburgh-based Standard Life Investments records some HK$2,103.4 billion ($270.1 million) in assets under management worldwide as at 30 June 2013. In addition to offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Sydney and Seoul, its Asian presence is marked by partnerships with India's HFDC Asset Management and Japan's Mitsui Trust Bank.