Barclays appoints Jean-François Mastrangelo as Head of Markets, Asia Pacific
Barclays announced the appointment of Jean-François Mastrangelo as Head of Markets, Asia Pacific (APAC). Based in Hong Kong, Jean-François will lead the bank’s Global Markets business across the region, focusing on strengthening its platform, broadening product offerings, and deepening client relationships. He will report functionally to Adeel Khan, Head of Global Markets, and regionally to Jaideep Khanna, CEO, Asia Pacific.
Jean-François joins Barclays with nearly two decades of experience in global markets, most recently as Head of Equities APAC at Société Générale. His career spans senior leadership roles in Paris and in Hong Kong across structuring, trading, and platform development, with a proven track record of driving growth and innovation.
Adeel Khan, Head of Global Markets, said, “Jean-François has demonstrated an exceptional ability to build and lead high-performing teams in dynamic markets. His deep understanding of the region, combined with a global perspective, will be pivotal as we accelerate growth and deliver for our clients in Asia Pacific.”
Jaideep Khanna, CEO, Asia Pacific, added, “Jean-François is a proven leader within global markets. His appointment reflects our commitment to investing in talent, and building our platform to offer best-in-class products and services for our clients.”
Barclays appoints Neel Laungani as Head of Financial Sponsors, Asia Pacific
Barclays announces the appointment of Neel Laungani as Head of Financial Sponsors for Asia Pacific. In this role, Neel will be responsible for leading the financial sponsors franchise in the region through transaction origination and execution, as well as strategic coverage of the region’s core clients. He will support clients, in close collaboration with other coverage and product bankers, seize new opportunities across regions with the bank’s global teams and capabilities, and strategic commercial offerings.
Based in Hong Kong, Neel will report regionally to Avinash Thakur, Head of Investment Banking, Asia Pacific, and functionally to Christian Oberle, Global Head of Financial Sponsors.
“I am delighted to welcome Neel to Barclays. His appointment emphasises our commitment to growing our Investment Banking franchise and our ability to attract high quality talent from the industry,” said Avinash Thakur. “As a top five global financial sponsors franchise, we have the global reach and sector depth across the world’s largest financial centres, which is a key differentiator to our clients. Neel will be instrumental in growing our Advisory and ECM activities with sponsor clients – one of our key priorities – by drawing on the full strength of Barclays.”
Neel brings ˜29 years of investment banking experience, with a distinguished track record in financial sponsors and the Technology, Media, and Telecom (TMT) sectors. His career began at Lehman Brothers, where he spent more than 14 years and rose to Managing Director and Head of TMT in APAC. Neel then held senior leadership roles at Credit Suisse, Standard Chartered and Deutsche Bank. Most recently, he served as Managing Director and Head of Financial Sponsors Coverage for APAC at Credit Suisse, and as Vice-Chairman of TMT Coverage in the region.
Aon appoints Jennifer Richards as CEO of Asia Pacific
AON, a leading global professional services firm, announced that Jennifer Richards has been selected as CEO of Asia Pacific, effective 1 March.
Richards assumes the role from Anne Corona who has recently been named CEO of enterprise clients and global chief commercial officer. She will work alongside the Asia Pacific Executive Committee to enhance the firm’s capabilities across the region, create distinctive value for clients, deliver growth and strong financial performance, inspire colleagues and execute on the 3×3 Plan. Richards will report to CEO of Regions, Lori Goltermann, join the Aon Executive Committee and move from Australia to Singapore in the coming months.
Since joining Aon in Australia 13 years ago, Richards has been a dedicated and passionate colleague, supporting Australian, regional and global clients to make better decisions to address their risk and people challenges. She served most recently as head of Australia where she has a track record of success, fostering key client relationships and embedding the firm’s 3×3 Plan to accelerate growth and capabilities across all solution lines.
“The Asia Pacific region is critical to Aon’s strategy, representing significant growth opportunities across a diverse market,” said Goltermann. “Jennifer’s experience, Aon United mindset and ability to build and inspire high-performing teams position her to lead the Asia Pacific region to continued success.”
Prior to joining Aon, Richards held several senior management roles at AIG in its Financial Institutions and M&A businesses in North America. Before joining the insurance industry, Richards practiced corporate and securities law at Sidley Austin LLP in New York City.
Richards said, “I am excited to work even more closely with this exceptional team and look forward to collaborating with such talented colleagues across the region. There is so much opportunity in the Asia Pacific region, and together we will build on our existing momentum and accelerate our ability to help our clients navigate the multi-faceted, complex and interconnected challenges they face.”
Barclays appoints Paul Johnson as Head of Equities, Asia Pacific
Barclays announces the appointment of Paul Johnson as Head of Equities, Asia Pacific. In this role, Paul will lead the equities franchise in the region with a focus on Equity Derivatives, Equity-linked Financing, Electronic Trading, and have oversight for Prime. Based in Hong Kong, he will report functionally to Scott McDavid, Global Head of Equities, and regionally to Jaideep Khanna, CEO of Barclays, Asia Pacific & Head of Markets, Asia Pacific.
“Paul’s appointment reflects our continued investment in APAC as one of the key regions for our Global Equities franchise,” said Scott McDavid, “His focus on driving collaboration and building capabilities will help us unlock new opportunities and further strengthen our presence. We are confident that his leadership will further enhance our ability to deliver exceptional solutions for our clients.”
“We are delighted to welcome Paul to Barclays,” said Jaideep Khanna. “His extensive industry expertise and client-first approach will be instrumental in accelerating our growth ambitions across Asia Pacific.”
With over two decades of experience in equities and derivatives across global markets, Paul brings a proven track record of delivery to Barclays. Most recently, Paul served as APAC Co-Head of Equity Derivatives and Head of Exotics Equity Derivatives Trading at Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong. Prior to that, he was Head of CEEMEA & Latam FXO Trading at Bank of America, London UK, where he focused on building out new franchises in MENA, and at Goldman Sachs trading CEEMEA FXO for over ten years.
Everest Insurance Launches in Australia, Expands Asia Pacific Business
Everest announced it has officially launched its Australian Insurance operations after receiving approval from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. The business will operate under the name Everest Insurance Australia® with offices established in Sydney and Melbourne.
Christian Colombera, Managing Director, Australia and Head of the Pacific Region will lead the business alongside a team of best-in-class regional underwriters to serve the growing needs of corporations across the Australian market.
“As we continue enhancing our global presence, we bring Everest’s customer-first model and decades of underwriting discipline and financial strength to address the unique and growing needs of the Australian market,” said Mr. Colombera. “We have assembled a deeply experienced team with a keen understanding of local market dynamics and the challenges facing businesses demanding the capacity and expertise across a wide range of insurance needs that Everest will deliver.”
Everest’s breadth of bespoke insurance products will help fill a crucial void for tailored risk solutions in the property, casualty, financial lines, professional lines, and energy and construction sectors with the speed and agility required in the current insurance landscape.
Commenting on the announcement, Scott Leney, Head of Asia Pacific, Everest Insurance International® said, “Australia is a top-ten global insurance market ripe for Everest’s agile and entrepreneurial approach to risk. Australian clients and brokers need Everest’s financial support, top industry talent and broad suite of specialty products and capabilities.”
“Our disciplined expansion strategy positions Everest as a preferred market leader, bringing the full strength of Everest resources to key regions like Australia and globally,” said Jason Keen, co-lead of Everest Insurance International®.
Deutsche Bank helps boost supply chain financing for SMEs in Asia Pacific
Deutsche Bank is partnering with The Asian Development Bank (ADB) to make supply chain financing more accessible for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Asia Pacific through an agreement that could facilitate over 200 million US dollars in additional trade in the region each year.
Supply chain finance provides critical working capital to companies, helping them to increase business activity and trade. Banks play an important role in the process, managing the capital invested in the supply chain and reducing the risk for the parties involved.
How it works
Through the new ‘Risk Participation Agreement’, Deutsche Bank and ADB will share the risk involved in supply chain financing, meaning that both parties can help more SMEs through ADB’s Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program.
In this case, Deutsche Bank supports the SMEs via its Global Hausbank clients; offering them supply chain financing which helps improve cash flow to their suppliers, typically SMEs. By sharing the supply chain risk with ADB, Deutsche Bank can help facilitate more financing to these clients and their supply chains.
Facilitating growth
For smaller enterprises, the agreement means increased access to the financing they need to scale up their operations, “boosting prosperity and creating jobs,” says ADB’s Director General of Private Sector Operations, Suzanne Gaboury.
“We are proud to partner with the ADB on this important initiative,” said Matthew Moodey, Head of Trade Finance and Lending for Asia Pacific. “Together, we will help smaller companies achieve growth.”
ADB estimates that the gap between the demand for trade finance and the money available for it is at least 2.5 trillion US dollars in Asia Pacific, with SMEs the worst affected.
SMEs in the pharmaceutical and agriculture sectors in developing parts of the region are expected to benefit most from this agreement.
MS Amlin expands in Asia Pacific with double hires
S Amlin Underwriting Limited (MS AUL), the Lloyd’s global (re)insurer, announced the appointments of Teh Ee Voon as Reinsurance Underwriter and Tan See Yee as Technical Business Analyst at MS Amlin Asia Pacific Pte Ltd (MS AAP) in Singapore. Teh Ee Voon reports to Will Ho, CEO, MS Amlin Asia Pacific Pte Ltd and Tan See Yee reports to Mary Weston, Head of Asia Operations & Reinsurance Claims.
Ee Voon’s role is multi-disciplinary, spanning both underwriting and actuarial. She joins from Willis Re where she has been a Senior Actuarial Analyst since 2018.
See Yee will support the transformation efforts across all functions of the Singapore platform in his new position. He has been promoted and transferred from MS Amlin’s Kuala Lumpur operation where was a Claims Adjuster for four years.
Will Ho, CEO, MS Amlin Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, commented: “We are committed to growing our presence in the Asian market by investing in talented individuals, and I am pleased to welcome Ee Voon and See Yee to our team in Singapore. Their respective experience will be vital as we look to expand our proposition and continue to enhance services for our clients and brokers.”
Guy Carpenter appoints new President in Asia Pacific
Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC, a leading global risk and reinsurance specialist and a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), announced today the appointment of Michael Harden as President of Asia Pacific, with immediate effect.
In this role, Mr. Harden will work closely with colleagues and clients across Guy Carpenter’s network of offices in the Asia Pacific region. Aligning with the firm’s focus on delivering strategic solutions and differentiated value to clients, he will play a central role in further expanding the range and enhancing the delivery of the client services that it provides. Based in Australia, Mr. Harden will report to Tony Gallagher, CEO of Asia Pacific, Guy Carpenter.
Mr. Harden brings over 45 years of (re)insurance industry experience to the position and joins from Willis Re, where he was most recently President, Asia Pacific. He joined Willis Re in Australia in 1991 as a Director and became CEO in 2006. During his time at the company, he was also CEO of Willis Re Bermuda.
Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Gallagher said: “We are excited to welcome Michael to Guy Carpenter at a time of significant evolution in the market. With over four decades of global operating experience in (re)insurance, handling specialty accounts as well as long-standing industry relationships in the Asia Pacific region, he will certainly add further depth to our already strong presence in the market. Michael’s appointment highlights our commitment to attracting the best global talent to deliver a consistently outstanding client experience.”
Deutsche Bank – Fiona Ip appointed Regional Treasurer Asia Pacific
Deutsche Bank announced the appointment of Fiona Ip as Regional Treasurer Asia Pacific with effect from July 1, 2021. Previously Deutsche Bank’s APAC Head of Capital Management and Debt Issuance as well as Treasurer for Singapore, Fiona joined the bank in 2004 as an analyst for Liquidity Risk Management in London. She has since held various roles within the bank, covering all aspects of the Treasury function. In addition to her roles in London and Singapore, she also spent three years with the bank in Shanghai..
As Regional Treasurer, Fiona will play an instrumental role in the overall success of Deutsche Bank in the region, as it progresses towards its 2022 strategic and financial goals.
Dixit Joshi, Group Treasurer at Deutsche Bank, said: “Fiona’s appointment reflects the depth, strength and diversity of our leadership talent in Treasury, and our commitment to develop and empower our people through internal mobility. We are determined to continue strengthening and enhancing the focus of the Treasury organisation as we support and drive the transformation of Deutsche Bank. Fiona begins her new role having already built a strong foundation of relationships in APAC with our businesses, regulators and clients, and we are delighted to see her taking on this new role.”
Deutsche Bank wins 38 corporate banking awards in Asia Pacific from The Asset
Deutsche Bank’s corporate banking capabilities in Asia were recognised at The Asset Triple A awards announced last week, with the bank winning a total of 38 accolades for excellence.
The bank won ‘Best Bank in Treasury and Cash Management in South Asia’ for its track-record in structuring innovative solutions, success in introducing new products and delivering outstanding client service.
On top of the 38 wins awards already announced, Deutsche Bank has been nominated for twelve regional awards to be announced by The Asset in September.
The Asset’s rigorous award evaluation process involves client feedback shared through the publication’s Annual Treasury Review Survey, in-depth client interviews and detailed awards pitches.
Strong momentum – some award highlights:
Multiple wins for Deutsche Bank’s treasury and working capital solutions for multinationals, showing the bank’s strength in servicing this client segment particularly across ASEAN.
18 awards for Deutsche Bank’s payments and collections service to clients, with solutions for General Mills and Brandix named the best in the region.
‘Best Digital solutions’ award for Deutsche Bank’s innovative solutions to clients in five markets, evidencing the bank’s momentum on digitalisation.
Solid trade finance performance across key markets, with solutions for Tianshan Aluminium and Nayara Energy named the best structured solutions in China and India respectively.
Double win in the ‘Best ESG Solutions’ category for service to Cargill and Payoneer, evidencing Deutsche Bank’s market-leading expertise in this critical sector.
David Lynne, Deutsche Bank’s Head of Fixed Income & Currencies, APAC and Corporate Bank, APAC said: “We are honoured to receive this recognition that reflects the depth and breadth of our solutions and the strength of our client partnerships across the region. We will continue to invest in our capabilities to introduce new and innovative products, deliver best-in-class ESG solutions, digitalise our clients’ experience, and provide customised treasury and trade solutions that exceed our clients’ expectations.”
The Asset Awards 2020 – Deutsche Bank wins:
Best in South Asia
Best in Treasury and Cash Management – South Asia
Best in Treasury and Working Capital for MNCs – India, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong
Best in Treasury and Working Capital for MNCs/LLCs – Sri Lanka
Best in Treasury and Working Capital for NBFIs – China
Best Service Provider for Cash Management – India
Best Service Provider for Structured Trade Finance – China
Best Service Provider for E-Solutions Partner – India
Best Service Provider for Liquidity Management – South Korea
Best client solutions
Best Regional Payments and Collections Solution:
General Mills
Brandix
Best In-country Payments and Collections Solution:
Henkel, China
DHL, India
Home Credit, India
Schindler, India
Allnex, Malaysia
Toyota Lanka, Sri Lanka
Givaudan, Vietnam
Best New Economy Payments and Collection Solution:
Ezyhaul, India
Myntra Designs Pvt, India
Best Digital Payments and Collection Solution:
Hailiang Group, China
BASF, Hong Kong
PT Asuransi Allianz Life Insurance, Indonesia
Knauf Gypsum, Philippines
Philip Morris Trading, Thailand
Best ESG Payments and Collection Solution:
India – Payoneer, India
Cargill, Indonesia
Best Trade Finance solution, China:
CPI Ronghe Financial Leasing
Tianjin Rail Transit Group Financial Leasing
Best Structured Trade Finance solution:
Tianshan Aluminium, China
Nayara Energy Limited, India
Best Liquidity and Investment solution:
Delphi Technologies, China
Salvatore Ferragamo, Hong Kong
Merck Financial Services, South Korea
Relationship Manager of the year: Sandeep Sethi