Thomas Cheong is Executive Vice President of Principal Financial Group® and President
of Asia Pacific and Middle East. He will lead client-facing functions in Asia Pacific and
the Middle East, while continuing to drive growth through regional joint ventures and
Principal Asia pension businesses. He is a member of the Principal senior management
team and currently serves on the boards of several Principal subsidiaries.
Cheong joined Principal in January 2015 and has more than 20 years of management
experience in Asia, holding various senior management positions with profit and loss
responsibilities. His extensive experience in the asset management, pension, and life
insurance businesses included appointments as president of North Asia for Principal
International; CEO and executive director of Manulife Asset Management (Taiwan);
country head overseeing Manulife’s joint venture asset management business in
mainland China; CEO of the Prudential UK’s China and Malaysia asset management
companies, and the director of corporate development in Prudential UK’s Singapore
life insurance business.
Cheong received his bachelor’s degree in econometrics, with first class honours, from
the London School of Economics. He obtained an MBA from the Olin Business School
of Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) and inducted to Beta Gamma Sigma
Honorary Business School Society. Cheong is currently a member of WUSTL’s Alumni
Board of Governors, as well as its regional advisory council (Hong Kong).