iShares, the exchange-traded funds management arm of BlackRock, has named a new chief operating officer following its previous head's departure.

Albert Yeh left the company early this year to return to the US, citing personal reasons. Yeh joined BlackRock in 2011 after serving as Asia COO for equities at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Hong Kong for 11 years. 

"In the interim, Hilary Bodin has relocated from the London office to join the iShares Asia-Pacific team in Hong Kong," said a spokesman for BlackRock in an email to WealthBriefing Asia.

Bodin will be responsible for developing and executing iShares' strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, managing and enhancing core business processes and overseeing the business' oprational infrastructure.

iShares is one of the largest ETF providers in the region, with some $33.7 billion in assets as of 31 December 2012.