Christian Deseglise, the high-profile head of emerging markets at HSBC Global Asset Management's funds division, has left the company after seven years to pursue a new venture in emerging-markets investment. He will be succeeded by Sylvia Coutinho, the current regional head of Latin America.

Deseglise, who was formerly head of the Americas region and based in New York, took over as HSBC's emerging-markets "champion" in January 2007. He said he left the position a few weeks ago because he had been offered an "exciting opportunity" but could not provide any further detail immediately.