First Names Group appoints new Asia head

Trust, corporate and fund administration services provider First Names Group has hired Jean Pierre (JP) Koolmees from rival company Vistra Group to head its Asian operations effective immediately, according to a statement.

Koolmees founded Vistra Group in 2010, a leading provider of company formations, trust, corporate and fund administration services, which was acquired in the middle of last year by Baring Private Equity Asia from Nordic private equity fund IK Investment Partners.

Koolmees, who has over 16 years of experience in professional services, left Vistra in September 2015, according to his LinkedIn profile.

As managing director at Vistra he oversaw the day-to-day operation of the business and its more than 120 employees. Before establishing the company, he was Asia Pacific director at trust and corporate services provider Equity Trust. He specialised in corporate law in the Netherlands before moving to Asia.

Koolmees’ joining First Names Group follows the company’s appointment of Eric Fady as chief financial officer and announcements from company to strengthen its positioning in Asia.

His responsibilities at the new role include overseeing both First Names Group and its subsidiary fund business Moore Management throughout the Asia-Pacific region, growing and implementing the region’s business strategy and growth plans covering important and new investor segments throughout its offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, the firm said.

He will work closely with the respective teams on the ground across Asia, hold a seat on the group’s management committee, and report to group CEO Cengiz Somay.

First Names Group employs more than 750 employees across offices in Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Cyprus, Switzerland, USA, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Ireland, UK, the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.