UPDATE 1-SGX's incoming CEO sees few M&A opportunities

* M&A experience not key factor in choice of CEO-SGX Chairman

* No change to SGX strategy of attracting overseas listings (Adds comments from SGX chairman)

SINGAPORE, July 30 (Reuters) - The Singapore Exchange's (SGXL.SI) incoming chief executive Magnus Bocker said on Thursday he does not see mergers and acquisitions taking place among Asian bourses as the environment is different from the West.

Bocker, 47, previously president of Nasdaq OMX (NDAQ.O), will take over as CEO of SGX from Dec 1. He was involved in the creation of OMX through the merger of several Nordic exchanges and subsequently led its merger with Nasdaq in 2008.

"The developments we have seen in Europe and the U.S., I don't think we'll see mimicked in Asia," he said at a news conference to introduce him to the media, citing the different regulatory environments in Asia.

Asian exchanges have many growth opportunities and did not need to resort to mergers and acqusitions to expand, unlike their counterparts in Europe and North America, he said.

SGX Chairman J Y Pillay added that cross-border M&A experience was not a key consideration in the selection of a CEO to replace Hsieh Fu Hua, who will step down from the helm of Asia's second-largest listed bourse at the end of this year.

Bocker said his appointment will not result in a change to SGX's strategy of becoming a regional platform by attracting overseas listings and introducing new products that give investors exposure to regional stocks and other asset classes. (Reporting by Kevin Lim; Editing by Neil Chatterjee)