Zhai joins Macquarie as managing director and head of corporate finance for mainland China, Panizza will be managing director and Asia head of debt services and Tan joins in Singapore as a senior banker for Southeast Asia. All three will report to Andrew Low, MacquarieÆs Asia head of corporate finance.
Growth is clearly underway: Macquarie announced a record profit result last week and reported that net income from its Asian businesses had grown 94% year-on-year.
Zhai joins Macquarie from Deutsche Bank where he was co-head of China investment banking. He was previously a senior associate at Goldman Sachs and has worked at Lehman Brothers, Schroders and Deloitte Touche. With over 10 yearsÆ experience in China investment banking he has worked on many landmark transactions including the IPOs of PetroChina and China Life, as well as on China Mobile (HK) asset acquisitions.
Macquarie's China team is clearly growing. In addition to hiring Zhai, in February Macquarie added Robert Xie and Barbara Zhang to the China team. In addition, Xia Shen was hired last year from CICC to drive the resources sector focus. Simon Murray, the former chief executive of Hutchison Whampoa Group and former Asia-Pacific executive chairman of Deutsche Bank, joined Macquarie in December as Asia chairman, corporate finance.
ôThe China market is an increasing focus for Macquarie. JackÆs experience in China combined with MacquarieÆs growing track record in ECM, advisory and direct investment in the region gives us the scope to continue the strong growth we have seen in our corporate finance platform in that market,ö says Low.
Panizza joins Macquarie from ABN AMRO in Hong Kong where he was an executive director and head of leveraged finance, Asia. He also served at ABN AMRO as executive director, structured capital markets, Asia in Singapore and associate director project finance and advisory in Sydney. Panizza led a number of major Asian transactions for ABN AMRO including pre-IPO financing for Hutchison Telecommunications International and M1 and leveraged buyout financing for Hanaro and Japan Telecom.
Tan joins Macquarie from IB Partners Pte in Singapore where he was a managing partner. He was previously managing director and head of transport, logistics, hotel/leisure, Asia with UBS in Hong Kong. Tan has worked on major transactions include the privatisation and IPO of Malaysia Airports Holdings, and the corporatisation of Thai Airport Authority.
ôWe have expanded the bankÆs operations, geographic footprint and capabilities to develop a portfolio of focused financial services," says MacquarieÆs managing director and CEO, Allan Moss.
Indeed, in the past year Macquarie has established a securities brokerage and corporate finance business in Mumbai, India, a stockbroking joint venture with TMB Bank in Thailand and a corporate finance joint venture with JapanÆs Shinsei Bank (Macquarie Shinsei Advisory Co).
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