Thomas Cheong

Thomas Cheong, senior vice president, Principal Financial Group and president of Principal Asia, is responsible for leading the development of the Principal retail pension and asset management businesses in China, Hong Kong and South East Asia, and managing key partnerships in the region. He currently serves on the board of the company’s China joint venture and the boards of several Principal companies in Hong Kong.

Cheong joined Principal in January 2015 and has more than 20 years of management experience in Asia, holding various senior management positions with P&L 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 of Science (First Class Honours) in Econometrics from the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom in 1990. In 2013, he obtained a Master of Business Administration from the Olin Business School of Washington University in St. Louis. Cheong currently sits on the regional advisory council (Hong Kong) for Washington University of St Louis.