Schroders has expanded its wealth management footprint in the UK considerably over the past five years or so, primarily through a number of well-judged acquisitions of which Cazenove, Benchmark Capital and a 49.9 percent stake in Lloyds Banking Group’s wealth management operations are probably the most significant.

But Schroders' wealth management ambitions are not just confined to the UK. One of the more intriguing elements of its wealth management strategy is the aim of developing a significant presence in Asia.

Asia has turned out to be a modern equivalent of El Dorado for many North American and European private b...