- American Trust Investment Services appointed Ziyao “Wayne” Wang as Co-Head of Investment Banking for Asia-Pacific effective January 12, 2026.
- Wang, a Series 24/79-licensed, Mandarin-fluent banker who started at ATIS as an analyst, will co-lead with President Kristopher “Kit” Kessler.
- The move signals ATIS’s push to expand cross-border investment banking coverage for APAC-based issuers.
- Key unknowns include ATIS’s APAC operating scale, local regulatory footprint, and ability to compete with larger regional and global banks.
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This leadership change at ATIS indicates an explicit strategic shift to increase engagement in the Asia-Pacific investment banking market. The elevation of Wang, with his regional experience and licensing, suggests a desire to improve deal origination, execution and regulatory coordination across jurisdictions in Asia. Working in tandem with Kit Kessler centralizes regional and functional accountability and may streamline decision-making for APAC issuer transactions.
ATIS’s broader recent trajectory corroborates this move: in 2024 it became a member of the NASDAQ Capital Markets, has an IPO and ECM pipeline including issuers like Energys Group, Marwynn Holdings, and Tianci International (CIIT), and is expanding its global footprint with a dedicated team in Hong Kong plus planned operations in the UAE. The appointment of Wang fits with this pattern of pushing outward from a U.S.-focused boutique model toward regional internationalization.
However, there remain open strategic implications. ATIS appears to lack detailed public disclosure regarding Wang’s prior experience beyond his analyst role; scale and assets under coverage in APAC are undisclosed. It’s unclear whether ATIS will establish physical offices in key APAC financial centers or partner with local institutions. Also, regulatory and competitive challenges loom large: operating in multiple jurisdictions in Asia will require compliance frameworks, licensing, and networks comparable to global banks. ATIS may be positioning for niche and mid-cap deals, cross-border uplistings, or ECM work from regional growth companies—but scale and execution capability will be tested.
Compared to large investment banks, ATIS’s boutique status may allow flexibility, but it may also limit access to deep capital, local relationships and capital commitment. Success in APAC will depend on its ability to deliver end-to-end execution, local underwriting knowledge, and regulatory agility—areas where established regional or global players may have entrenched advantage.
Supporting Notes
- ATIS has appointed Ziyao “Wayne” Wang as Co-Head of Investment Banking for Asia-Pacific, effective January 12, 2026, to support APAC-based issuers.
- Wang holds Series 24 and Series 79 licenses and is fluent in Mandarin; his role involves origination, execution, and regulatory coordination.
- He will share the co-leadership with Kristopher “Kit” Kessler, President of ATIS, who is Co-Head of Investment Banking.
- ATIS is a FINRA- and SEC-registered broker-dealer and participated in several IPOs and uplistings in recent years (e.g. Energys Group, CIIT, Marwynn Holdings).
- ATIS became a member of the NASDAQ Capital Markets in 2024, expanding its execution capabilities.
- The firm maintains a dedicated team in Hong Kong and is planning operations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, signaling geographic expansion beyond the U.S.