European jobs roundup: Bank of America hires again

Multiple hires were prominent in banking recruitment in Europe last week. Fixed income and financial institutions group (FIG) bankers were at the forefront.

Bank of America added to its reputation as a big hirer in fixed income by recruiting seven bankers for its European debt team.

The new recruits include: Renzo Arcoria from Bear Stearns, who joins as head of fixed income sales for Southern Europe, the Middle East and Eastern Europe; William Cumming from Citigroup, who joins as head of European asset-backed securities and mortgage backed securities finance origination; David Henness from JP Morgan, who joins as joins as a senior euro swaps trader; and Benjamin Jacquard from Credit Agricole Indo-Suez, who joins as head of hybrids and structured products training.

The new hires mean Bank of America has recruited 40 bankers to its European debt operation in London since the start of the year.

Lehman Brothers was among those hiring in FIG. It recruited two salesmen focused on the banking sector and one focused on the insurance sector for its London sales team. Marc Smart joined from CSFB, Duncan Farr joined from SG Securities and Alan Hayes joined from Morgan Stanley.

SG revealed plans for future FIG hires. De Doan-Tran, global head of FIG, said the group wanted to expand across Europe in structured finance, derivatives and euro capital markets. It intends to hire an additional 50 FIG bankers globally, of whom 10 will be in Europe. Recruitment will focus on insurance, capital management, asset and liability management and senior people with German, Italian and Scandinavian clients, Doan-Tran said.

Deutsche Bank closed its Edinburgh equity sales operation. Its four Edinburgh-based equity salespeople, Daniel Leaf, Andrew Keith, Richard Sloss, and Florence Davies, joined Teather & Greenwood, the UK brokerage, in Edinburgh.

It also emerged that nearly a third of London analysts have left ABN Amro since Mark Brown, head of global equity research, left suddenly in early March. Sources close to the bank said those who have left include Charles Peacock, the head of media, as well as a four-person beverage team and a four-person support services team.

ABN Amro made two hires for its commodity derivatives trading team. Wayne Harburn joined from BNP Paribas as global head of commodity trading. Vincent Chevance joined from ABN Amro as global head of commodity marketing.

Merrill Lynch hired a new co-head of its energy and power businesss for EMEA and Asia after losing Chris Baxter and Martin Falkner, former co-heads of its energy trading team last year. Rahul Dhir, a former executive director at Morgan Stanley, will co-head the unit with Richard Nourse.

Vega Asset Management, a hedge fund, hired Julian Barrowcliffe from Bank of America to launch a commodities trading fund. Barrowcliffe said he intends to build a commodities team at Vega.