Demand for investment professionals in APAC remains strong

    Demand for investment professionals in Asia Pacific (APAC) remains strong despite challenging industry conditions, according to a survey by Heidrick & Struggles, conducted in the second quarter of 2019.
  Looking broadly at base salary and bonus changes, 42% of respondents said they received an increase in base salary in 2019, a slight drop from 45% the previous year and returning to the same percentage increase in 2017. The percentage of respondents reporting an increase in annual bonus dropped from previous years; in the latest survey, 45% of respondents said their bonuses increased for 2019, down from 59% for 2018 and 49% for 2017. 
  In all cases, across investment strategies and geographies, the greatest percentage gains were at the associate and senior associate levels, followed by professionals at the vice president level. The majority of those surveyed remain optimistic that growth will continue, with 65% expecting their base compensation to rise in the next 12 months.
  Last year ended as a strong year for private capital in APAC with an aggregate deal value of US$169 billion and assets under management totaling US$883 billion - or 26% of the global total.
  The survey included responses from professionals across private equity, venture capital and real assets and it indicated not only that demand is strong but that firms are investing in building their junior and mid-level ranks and in developing teams outside of traditional hubs such as Hong Kong, Singapore or Tokyo.
  "Our goal is to provide the industry with the clearest and most up-to-date analysis on how compensation is evolving as private capital matures in Asia Pacific. What we're finding is sustained growth and demand across strategies, which is a really good indicator of long-term health." said Michael Di Cicco, Regional Managing Partner of Heidrick & Struggles' Private Equity Practice.