Avaloq plans to boost its business in Asia and has hired a new head of region. It hopes to capitalize on the momentum in the region.

Swiss banking tech firm Avaloq hired Imad Abou Haidar as head of Asia. He will take up the position in October. Based in Singapore, Haidar will report to Paco Hauser, global head of markets. At the same time, Avaloq COO Pascal Foehn, who has been interim head of Asia since December 2018, will continue to support the Asia team, the firm said.

Haidar joins from U.K.-based software firm Finastra, where he has worked since 2016, most recently as its Asia-Pacific managing director, based in Singapore, where he led the transformation of the firm’s regional strategy and portfolio growth initiatives.

Asia Focus

«This is a truly exciting time for Avaloq in Asia,» Avaloq CEO Juerg Hunziker said. «Our growth dynamics in Asia have become very attractive and I am convinced that Avaloq will further extend its leading position in the region,» he added.

Avaloq has had a presence in the region since 2007. The company has a strong focus on Asia, with customers including Bank of Asia, Maybank and China CITIC Bank. In 2018, it opened a regional business hub in Singapore. The office houses the firm’s first overseas combined software and service center.