Switzerland's Julius Baer has relocated one of its top emerging markets strategists from Zürich to Hong Kong, as the bank increasingly seeks to build up its Asia-Pacific bench.

Hofer, who is the author of the Asia Wealth Report release last week, was brought out to Hong Kong last month. He joined Julius Baer in 2007 as an emerging market strategist.

Prior to Julius Baer he was head of country risk assessment at Swiss Export Risk Insurance, a government-owned firm. He started his private banking career at UBS in 2000 as a portfolio manager and was promoted to emerging markets debt strategist in 2002.

Following the acquisition of Merrill Lynch's non-US wealth business, Julius Baer will be significantly fortified in its region of focus, Asia. The deal, which could be valued at up to SFr860 million (US$882 million), will see half of the wealth manager's clients now based in the emerging markets, primarily Asia.

Although it is not clear yet how many relationship managers will join the bank, the deal could boost Julius Baer's total assets under management by 40 per cent to SFr 251 billion (US$270 billion).