Gottex, the independent global alternative asset management group, has announced that its co-founder, Max Gottschalk, has moved to Hong Kong to help grow the company’s business in Asia Pacific.

Gottschalk, who is a senior managing director, head of Asia and global head of marketing, as well as a board member of Gottex, co-founded the asset management arm of the Gottex Group in 1998.

Gottex has been investing in the Asian region since 2001 and established its Hong Kong office in 2006. Gottschalk and other senior officers at the company have been travelling here regularly since the launch of the company.

“I have always met regularly with hedge fund managers and with clients across Asia, but with the huge wealth creation the region is experiencing, it is clear to me that I need to be here full time,” said Gottschalk in a statement.

The Guernsey-incorporated firm is one of the top 25 fund of hedge fund firms globally, and the seventh largest in terms of institutional pension assets. As at 31 March 2011, Gottex had $8.6 billion of total fee-earning assets.