Western poaches Pimco's Lian to replace De Mello

Lian Chia-Liang has left Pimco for California bond rival Western Asset, taking up a role as head of the Asian fixed-income investment team in Singapore. He replaces Rajeev De Mello, who recently departed Western for Schroder Investment Management. It's a quick recovery for Western. Experienced Asia bond managers are thin on the ground and losing De Mello could have led to a prolonged period without a senior Asia investment pro. Pasadena-based Keith Gardner, head of investments for …