MSCI, the New York-based investment and performance analytics specialist, has strengthened its Asian growth strategy with the appointment of an Asia-Pacific head.

Chris Ryan started at the firm in mid-September as managing director based in Hong Kong. Ryan was previously the chief executive of Perpetual, the Australian asset manager. He left the company in February 2012. Before Perpetual, he was a part-time managing director and senior advisor at Citibank GTS. He also worked for Fidelity International and ING Investment Management.

He takes over from Deborah Yang, who will be moving to Paris in December to assume the newly-created role of head of the Europe, Middle East and Africa index business. Her new position includes oversight of India. 

Ryan's new responsibility is an extended version of Yang's, in that he is now also supervising the MSCI business in Australia and Japan. Yang had handled only Asia ex-Japan and ex-Australia previously.