Is Citi sucking up BAML equity derivative traders?

Citi is shaking up its cash equities business. And now it's doing some shaking in equity derivatives, too.

Global Capital reported late last week that Citi has hired Emmanuel Girod, BAML's former London-based head of global linked products. Now it's rumoured that Citi has also ingested Arnaud Lannic, BAML's former head of European exotics. Ex-colleagues of Lannic confirmed his departure, although it's unclear whether Citi is his ultimate destination. Nomura is also said to be hiring.

Girod and Lannic's moves reflect a period of resurgent hiring in the equity derivatives market after a strong first quarter. Last August, Citi brought over David Haldane from Australia to run its equity derivatives business in Europe and Haldane seems to be shaking things up. "Haldane's building slowly," says one equity derivatives headhunter, speaking off the record. "He's also scaling back the risk after they had some problems last year." Alongside Girod and (possibly) Lannic, Citi's also hired John Macpherson, the former global head of futures and options at Nomura, and Anders Helgeson, an equity derivatives trader, also from Nomura 

Girod's arrival at Citi looks like particularly good news for equity derivatives traders who are locked out of the market. Having left BAML in March 2012, Girod had a full 26 months out of the market before turning up at the US bank on May 26th.