Barclays designates a new leader for investment banking in India as part of a changes in APAC management structure
Barclays, the global banking and financial services company, has announced a significant leadership reshuffle within its Asia Pacific (APAC) investment banking division. The aim is to accelerate regional growth by unifying and strengthening key business lines under experienced leadership.
The bank is focusing on dominating core areas such as equity capital markets, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory, and emerging sectors including green finance and technology. This strategic move comes as part of a broader push to capitalize on APAC's post-pandemic economic boom, despite regulatory challenges, and to bridge the region's significant infrastructure investment gap projected at $26 trillion by 2030.
Avinash Thakur, with nearly 30 years of APAC experience, has been appointed as Head of Investment Banking for APAC. Thakur, who succeeds Vanessa Koo who retired from her position, is tasked with unifying debt and equity financing to better serve high-growth sectors like technology, fintech, and infrastructure.
Richard Satchwell, previously the Australia country chief executive and head of Investment Banking, has been appointed as the Head of Capital Markets Financing for APAC, overseeing debt and equity financing transactions across the region and relocating to Singapore.
Ee-Ching Tay, who was already Head of Investment Banking Southeast Asia, now also serves as Head of M&A for APAC, expanding her remit to cover major advisory services across the entire region.
Duncan Connellan will assume the role of chief of Investment Banking, Australia, succeeding Satchwell in the Australian market. David Henderson, a former Goldman Sachs executive, is appointed as CEO of Barclays' operations in Australia, reinforcing the firm's leadership and presence in this key market.
Arun Saigal has been appointed as head of Investment Banking in India, expanding his role beyond his current responsibility as head of Financing and M&A in the country. Other appointments include Pramod Kumar as Vice Chairman Investment Banking APAC and CEO of Barclays India, and others leading risk solutions and financing.
These appointments are part of Barclays' focus on optimizing capital allocation in investment banking, following a three-year plan to cut costs. The appointments are effective immediately and are designed to drive Barclays' strategic ambition of becoming a dominant, integrated investment banking player in APAC by leveraging deep regional expertise, unifying capital markets functions, and broadening advisory capabilities to capture growth in dynamic sectors.
As Avinash Thakur remarked: "Asia Pacific is crucial to our global growth plan, and this team will drive the next phase of our ambition." The appointments follow Barclays' focus on optimizing capital allocation in investment banking.
The bank is aiming to capitalize on the post-pandemic economic boom in APAC by focusing on core areas such as technology, fintech, and infrastructure, through unified debt and equity financing across the region. This strategic move is part of a broader plan, led by Avinash Thakur, the new Head of Investment Banking for APAC, to optimize capital allocation and become a dominant investment banking player in APAC.
