FILE PHOTO: Andrew Swan, Managing Director, Head of Asian Equities of BlackRock, attends an interview as part of Reuters ASEAN Summit in Hong Kong March 26, 2014. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Man GLG, the discretionary investment arm of asset manager Man Group EMG.L, has hired Andrew Swan from rival BlackRock BLK.N to lead its Asia ex-Japan equities business, it said on Thursday.

He will join the firm in Sydney in the third quarter to manage a long-only Asia ex-Japan equity strategy and will report directly to Chief Executive Teun Johnston, according to a statement from Man GLG.

Swan most recently served out of Hong Kong as head of Asia and global emerging market fundamental equities at BlackRock, where he joined in 2011, Man GLG said.

A BlackRock spokeswoman said Gordon Fraser and Stephen Andrews will become co-heads of global emerging market equities at the company and will report to Belinda Boa, chief investment officer of global emerging markets.