Nikko Asset Management, one of the largest regional asset management firms in Asia, has appointed a new chief legal officer.

Ross Long joins the senior management team effective 24 June 2013 and will be responsible for all legal functions globally at Nikko AM. Long has been in the law and finance industries for nearly 30 years, including over 15 years as group counsel at the CLSA Group.

In this new role, he reports directly to Charles Beazley, the chairman, president and chief executive of Nikko AM. He replaces David Monroe, who announced his resignation in May after being with the company for seven years.

Nikko Asset Management is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and has around $162 billion in total assets under management as of 31 March 2013. It also one of the widest distributor networks across the Asia-Pacific region, covering over 300 banks, brokers, IFAs and life insurance firms. Its other Asia-Pacific offices are in Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland.