Managing Director, GFO APAC

About Northern Trust:

Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889.

Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world’s most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

Role Overview

The Global Family Office (GFO) Managing Director is a senior market executive responsible for leading, growing, and representing the Global Family Office business across the respective region Asia Pacific + Australia. Based in Singapore, this role serves as the regional hub for the GFO business—connecting markets, product partners, client development, and client coverage teams to deliver a consistent, high-impact client experience and scalable growth. The role combines strategic leadership, market presence, client engagement, and business development, with accountability for driving growth across the full GFO offering, including global custody, technology/ reporting, asset management, investment advisory, capital markets and credit solutions. The executive is a trusted escalation point for complex client matters and an advocate for the solutions and capabilities required to win in the market.

Key Accountabilities

• Drive and execute the APAC growth strategy for the Global Family Office business across South East Asia and Australia.
• Maintain strong, visible market presence in Singapore and Hong Kong; represent the GFO business externally and internally.
• Act as the regional hub across markets, roles, and reporting lines; enable connectivity and alignment across APAC.
• Liaise with APAC executive team members to keep them abreast of GFO performance, pipeline, priorities, and market developments.
• Liaise with Client Development team to assist in sourcing new business across the GFO value proposition.
• Support the broader APAC team and serve as an escalation point for client matters, ensuring timely resolution and client satisfaction.
• Inform the business of client needs and required product/solution enhancements to be successful in the APAC market.
• Support sales initiatives and partner with coverage teams to originate, structure, and close complex mandates.

Key Responsibilities

1) Regional Leadership & Executive Engagement

• Own and execute the regional business plan for APAC GFO, translating strategy into measurable outcomes.
• Partner closely with APAC executive leadership to align priorities, remove blockers, and ensure transparency of progress and risks.
• Coordinate across markets to standardize best practices and elevate consistency of client delivery and commercial execution.

2) Business Development & Growth Across the Platform

• Drive growth across Asia and Australia through disciplined origination, pipeline management, and conversion in close partnership with Directors of Client Development
• Expand and deepen relationships with family office principals, CIOs, CEOs, and key advisors across APAC.
• Partner with product and specialist teams to structure multi-product solutions aligned to client objectives and operating models.

3) Client Coverage, Service Excellence & Escalation

• Serve as a senior escalation point for key client issues; mobilize internal stakeholders to achieve timely, high-quality outcomes.
• Support relationship teams in strategic client conversations, mandate reviews, and complex solution delivery.
• Strengthen client satisfaction and retention through proactive governance, issue management, and executive-level engagement.

4) Product, Solutions & Market Feedback Loop

• Provide ongoing market intelligence and client feedback to inform product development and platform enhancements.
• Identify gaps in the regional offering and advocate for new solutions and capabilities required to win in APAC.
• Partner with global and regional stakeholders to commercialize solutions and ensure readiness for local regulatory and operating requirements.

5) Brand Building, Sponsorship & Market Presence

• Build and elevate the GFO brand across APAC through thought leadership, client forums, and targeted COI engagement.
• Represent the GFO business externally at industry events and within relevant family office networks.

6) Talent: Sourcing, Growing & Developing (Key Initiative)

• Establish talent sourcing, growth, and development as a core strategic pillar of the APAC GFO business.
• Proactively source and recruit high-calibre market-facing talent across APAC, as business needs arise
• Develop and mentor senior and emerging leaders; strengthen commercial capability, client impact, and regional connectivity.
• Foster collaboration and consistent standards across the GFO APAC business

7) Governance, Risk & Internal Collaboration

• Collaborate with legal, compliance, risk, and operations to ensure growth aligns with relevant APAC regulatory and governance requirements.
• Drive disciplined execution across complex stakeholder groups and ensure accountability for deliverables and outcomes.
• Champion operational excellence and continuous improvement in client delivery.

Key Stakeholders

• APAC Executive Committee and senior regional leadership
• Global GFO leadership and strategy teams
• APAC sales, relationship management, and client coverage teams
• Product leaders across custody, technology/reporting, investments, trading/FX, banking and credit
• Operations, technology, legal, compliance, and risk partners
• Family office principals, executives, and external advisors across the APAC ecosystem

Qualifications & Experience

• 15+ years’ experience in family office services, private banking, asset servicing, asset management, institutional wealth, or closely related fields, with substantial APAC exposure.
• Proven track record of originating and growing complex, multi-product relationships with UHNW clients and family offices.
• Network of professional contacts in the family office space
• Strong understanding of family office operating models and client needs across investments, custody/servicing, reporting/technology, and banking/credit.
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a matrixed, multi-market organization and align stakeholders across different reporting lines.
• Demonstrated experience building and leading high-performing teams, including sourcing, mentoring, and developing senior talent.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA or equivalent) preferred.

Core Competencies

• Strategic leadership with hands-on execution discipline
• Commercial acumen and consultative selling across multiple products
• Executive presence and strong external market credibility
• Client-first mindset with proven ability to navigate complex matters and deliver outcomes
• Ability to influence across senior stakeholders and matrixed teams
• Strong judgment, risk awareness, and governance orientation
• Talent development and culture leadership

Success Measures

• Revenue, AUM/AUC, and pipeline growth across APAC GFO mandates
• New client acquisition and deepening of existing strategic relationships
• Adoption and expansion of platform capabilities (custody, technology/reporting, investments, trading/FX, banking and credit)
• Client satisfaction, retention, and quality of escalation outcomes
• Brand visibility and effectiveness of sponsorship/awareness initiatives
• Strength of talent pipeline, leadership bench, and team engagement across APAC

Reporting Line & Travel

Reporting line to be confirmed based on regional governance; role will partner closely with APAC executive leadership and global GFO leadership, and various other business unit groups. Regular travel across key APAC markets is expected to support client engagement, business development, and team leadership.

Note: This job description outlines primary responsibilities and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties.

Working with Us:

As a Northern Trust partner, greater achievements await. You will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture in an organization where financial strength and stability is an asset that emboldens us to explore new ideas.

Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to assisting the communities we serve! Join a workplace with a greater purpose.

We’d love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of the world’s most admired and sustainable companies! Build your career with us and apply today. #MadeForGreater

Reasonable accommodation

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp@ntrs.com.

We hope you’re excited about the role and the opportunity to work with us. We value an inclusive workplace and understand flexibility means different things to different people.

Apply today and talk to us about your flexible working requirements and together we can achieve greater.