Barone leaves search firm Odgers

He has not yet agreed the duration of gardening leave with Odgers' CEO, Richard Boggis-Rolfe.

Barone is the second senior financial services figure to leave the firm in recent weeks, after Andrew Clowes.

Sources close to Barone said he has had a good relationship with both Boggis-Rolfe and Roddy Gow, the global head of financial services, who was largely responsible for Barone's hire just under two years ago.

As a partner, Barone has been involved in discussions regarding a possible coming together of the London office with the rest of search firm Ray & Berndtson in the US. It is not clear at this stage how those discussions are progressing, and Ray & Berndtson recently indicated it was in conversations with several other search firms.

At Odgers, Barone has been head of the equities team with a principal focus on global equities while also handling senior requirements within debt capital markets.

Before moving into search in 1996 he worked in banking, beginning his career at what was then SG Warburg, where he specialised in EMS foreign exchange trading.

Barone is expected to remain involved in senior-level work in equities and debt capital markets related business.

His departure comes after that of Clowes, who was a member of the board practice and covered private banking and wealth managament.

It was not clear where Clowes has gone. Odgers could not immediately be reached for comment. Before moving to the firm Clowes worked at rival firm Whitehead Mann.