People: Nomura names new group chief operating officer

Citi loses forex algo director; BNPP’s metals head relocates to Singapore; new appointment at Malaysia central bank

Nomura has named Tetsu Ozaki, chief executive of the Japanese bank's wholesale division, as its new group chief operating officer (COO) – one of a series of changes recently made to senior management by Tokyo-based chief executive Koji Nagai.

Ozaki first joined Nomura in 1982. Since 2014, he has led the company's investment banking and market operations as chief executive of the wholesale division and deputy president of Nomura Securities.

As group COO, he replaces Atsushi Yoshikawa, who had served as group COO since 2012, when Nagai originally became chief executive. Yoshikawa left the position to become a senior adviser to Nomura Securities in Japan.

Ozaki started his new job on April 1, based in Tokyo, but also retains his position as deputy president of Nomura Securities.

His former role as chief executive of the wholesale division will be divided between Japan-based head of investment banking Kentaro Okuda and Steven Ashley, London-based head of global markets.

 

James Dalton, Citi's director of foreign exchange algorithmic execution in London, is understood to be moving to Sydney to join National Australia Bank as head of electronic forex. He was with Citi for more than a decade after joining from Boston-based State Street, where he worked in various IT-related roles.

Citi and National Australia Bank declined to comment.

 

Mikko Rusi, global head of metals at BNP Paribas, is to move from London to Singapore, where he is set to take on an additional role as the French bank's head of Asia-Pacific commodity derivatives.

A spokesperson confirms the move, but declined to comment further.

Rusi will take over the role vacated by Gunnar Hoest, who left BNP Paribas at the beginning of the year. Hoest had led the bank's Asian commodities business since 2013, when he joined after holding a similar role at Deutsche Bank. Hoest did not respond to a request for comment.

Rusi joined BNP Paribas in 2010, working initially as the bank's head of European base and precious metals sales. He previously worked at JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs.

 

Bank Negara Malaysia has reappointed Sukudhew (Sukhdave) Singh as its deputy governor for another three-year term, effective from April 16.

First appointed deputy back in 2013, Sukhdave will continue to oversee the monetary and economics sector as well as several departments under the organisational development sector of the bank. He is also a member of the bank's monetary policy committee, financial stability committee and board of directors.

Joining the central bank in 1986, Sukhdave has held a number of roles – contributing to areas including financial stability, payment systems and human resource management, as well as acting in a financial advisory role to the government.

 

Steve Gordon will replace Brian Hayr as head of currency, property and security (CPS) at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, as Hayr makes the leap to the private sector and joins Innovia Security.

Gordon is currently head of risk, assessment and assurance, but has been involved with the currency department throughout the development phase of the new banknote series.

"Steve's skills and experience will contribute greatly to the work of CPS and maintain strong relationships with our industry partners," said Geoff Bascand, a deputy governor at the central bank.

In his new position, Gordon will be responsible for meeting the currency needs of the nation and the property and security requirements of the bank. Hayr is due to take up his new post in May.

 

Ipreo, a New York-based provider of data, analytics and workflow tools for investment banking and investor relations functions, has hired David Day as managing director and head of Asia-Pacific, based in Hong Kong, with responsibility for managing and growing the vendor's Global Markets Group in the region, in addition to having broad oversight across its operations in Asia.

During his 18 years of experience in investment banking, business development and financial technology, Day served as head of marketing at the Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange, a director at Merrill Lynch's strategy and business development group in Hong Kong, and vice-president in the financial institutions group of Goldman Sachs' investment banking division in New York.

Most recently, he was an independent consultant advising US and Asian companies.

At Ipreo, Day reports to Bill Sherman, executive vice-president and managing director of the vendor's Global Markets Group.

 

The Indian government has appointed three directors to the central board of directors at the Reserve Bank of India.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Bharat Narotam Doshi and Sudhir Mankad will hold their new positions for a period of four years, effective from March 4.

Under the Reserve Bank of India Act 1934, the government has the powers to elect members to the board.