Director/Managing Director - Singapore & Southeast Asia COO

About this role The Singapore & SEA COO is a senior leadership role within BlackRock's Asia Pacific COO function, accountable for driving business strategy, operational excellence, and governance across Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam). Reporting to the Deputy Head of APAC, with a matrix reporting line to the APAC COO; this individual serves as a trusted partner to Singapore and SEA business leaders and partners with APAC COO, translating strategic priorities into execution, managing the operating platform, and ensuring the firm operates with integrity and efficiency across the region. This is a high-visibility role that requires a seasoned operator who is equally comfortable shaping strategy with senior leadership, ensuring rigorous day-to-day execution and managing risk. The successful candidate will be a credible, self-driven leader with deep knowledge of the SEA financial services landscape and a track record of delivering results in complex, matrixed organizations. Key Responsibilities 1. Business Strategy & Growth Partner with the Singapore and SEA business leaders, and APAC senior management to define and execute regional strategic priorities including new growth initiatives, business prioritization, and strategic investments Identify and evaluate growth opportunities across SEA markets, translating insights into actionable plans with clear ownership and measurable outcomes Lead and manage large-scale, cross-functional strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment across business units and corporate functions Maintain a current and informed view of the evolving digital and FinTech/Wealth Tech landscape in SEA, advising on strategic partnerships and positioning BlackRock competitively within the ecosystem Communicate strategic priorities and execution plans clearly and persuasively across all levels of the organization 2. Stakeholder Engagement & Regional Connectivity Serve as a key connector across internal functions (Finance, HR, Risk, Technology, Compliance, Legal, Marketing, and Corporate Communications) and external stakeholders to advance regional priorities Manage local governance committees, ensuring agenda quality, materials are fit for purpose, and outcomes are actioned Partner with HR to ensure hiring, transfers, and exits are executed effectively; support workforce planning and headcount decisions aligned to business strategy Represent BlackRock at external forums and industry events where appropriate, supporting the firm's visibility and reputation in SEA markets Partner with Corporate Communications on all internal and external engagement, ensuring messaging is consistent and on brand 3. Business Management & Operating Platform Oversee financial performance management in partnership with Finance, monitoring revenues, expenses, and headcount against budget and forecast, and ensuring material variances are escalated and addressed Collaborate with Technology & Enterprise Services on facilities management and real estate planning across SEA locations Drive improvements in employee experience, including ownership of actions arising from the Employee Opinion Survey Ensure all mandatory training, licensing, and certification obligations are met across the SEA employee population, maintaining compliance with local regulatory requirements Support prompt and appropriate approval workflows across the business, escalating where required 4. Risk, Controls & Governance Partner with Risk & Quantitative Analysis (RQA), Compliance, and Legal to strengthen the local control environment and proactively mitigate operational and regulatory risk Oversee the integrity of Country Control Framework, Aladdin certification, access permission management, and planning chart completeness, ensuring processes are robust and audit-ready Support regulatory and control requests effectively (e.g., SOX, SOR), and act as a key point of coordination for Internal Audit engage ... (truncated, view full listing at source)