Merrill Lynch reshuffles Asian debt and equity operations

US investment bank Merrill Lynch has created an integrated Pacific Rim debt and equity strategic solutions group, combining its debt and equity solutions groups to offer asset and liability services under the same umbrella.

Miwa Ohmori will head the new strategic solutions group in Japan and Samir Atassi will head the group for Asia-Pacific.

“The group will be responsible for both equity and debt derivatives products marketing,” Merrill Lynch said in an internal note dated February 13.

The bank has also promoted Kenneth Poon as head of equity capital markets (ECM) for Asia. Based in Hong Kong, Poon will report to Angus Macpherson, head of Asia capital markets and financing.

Poon will oversee activities across ECM products, including equity derivatives. He has worked for Merrill Lynch for six years.

The changes follow a major organisational reshuffle at Merrill Lynch, instigated at its New York head office last September. The US investment bank created a new capital markets and financing group that embraces debt capital markets, equity capital markets and corporate finance.