Lazard Asset Management is to open its fourth Asian office following the recruitment of Henry Choon as managing director for business development and marketing in Asia ex-Japan.

Choon, who joins from Lehman Brothers Investment Management, will be reporting to Lazard’s Asia Pacific head, Rob Prugue. Prugue, an Australian, relocated this year from Sydney to Japan for several months. Prugue described Choon’s recruitment as a key hire as he was responsible for establishing Lehman’s presence in Hong Kong. The other Lazard offices which report to Prugue, apart from Sydney and Hong Kong, are Seoul and Tokyo.