CTPartners, the international executive search firm, has expanded its financial services practice with the appointment of Manisha Deva and Paul Wilden as principals for its Singapore office.

Deva steps in from Korn/Ferry International in New Delhi, where she served as client partner for its global financial markets practice. Wilden is a former financial services executive with 16 years of global banking and trust experience and most recently worked for a boutique search firm in Singapore.

The hiring and retention of top talents has become a major issue among Asian financial services firms, what with banks poaching executives from each other and international firms picking out big names from the region to lead their own stables abroad. With Singapore poised to become Asia's financial hub, establishing a solid team in the country is a priority for most firms.

"Their presence in Singapore enhances our geographic reach and our expertise across South East Asia and India, as well as our domain expertise in both asset management and treasury and securities services," Burke St John, vice chairman and global head of financial services at CTPartners, said in a media release.

CTPartners has a global organisation of over 300 professionals and employees specialising in board advisory services and executive recruiting in various industries, including financial services.