Pearson will take over a newly restructured group, which will see both coverage and product bankers reporting in to him. His group will also combine two previously distinct client groups within the ABN universe. The first is æglobal clientsÆ, which broadly speaking constitutes the 100 largest financial institutions in the region. These clients have historically been serviced with a broad spectrum of ABNÆs investment banking and global markets products.
The second is æcommercial clientsÆ, which are the smaller- and medium-sized Asian financial institutions. Historically, they have been serviced with a narrower spectrum of products.
PearsonÆs new role is a realisation that ABN should be servicing these latter clients with the same types of products. The Dutch bank recognises that it must derive a higher percentage of its Asian revenues from financial institutions û especially since their business tends to generate a higher return on capital than business conducted with Asian corporates.
Pearson was previously based in Shanghai, running ABNÆs corporate, investment banking and institutional business for China. Prior to that role û which he did for 18 months û he ran corporate finance for Asia. A long-time ABN banker, Pearson also sandwiched in a stint with Morgan Stanley where he was a managing director in the M&A group, and advised on high profile deals such as the SingTel acquisition of Optus.
Reporting to him will be George Koo, who joined ABN from Barclays in the summer, and will now run coverage for Asian banks.
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