OREANDA-NEWS. May 27, 2015. The Principal Financial Group® (NYSE: PFG) announced today that

Blair C. Pickerell, chairman, Asia, of Nikko Asset Management, has been elected to The Principal® Board of Directors, effective August 17, 2015.

“Blair brings a valuable perspective to the Board with his work in asset management in large, global organizations,” said

Larry Zimpleman, chairman and CEO of The Principal. “We look forward to tapping into his expertise as we continue to execute our global growth strategy.”

Pickerell has been in his current role with Nikko Asset Management since 2010. Prior to that, he was CEO, Asia, at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Before that, he held positions at a number of asset and investment management organizations in Hong Kong. Pickerell earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in East Asian studies from Stanford University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

“This is an exciting time at The Principal, and I’m looking forward to being a part of their continued global growth and success,” added Pickerell.