RBC Capital Markets, the corporate and investment banking arm of Royal Bank of Canada, has appointed Frederic Laine as a managing director and head of fixed income and currencies, Asia ex-Japan.
Laine, who is based in Hong Kong, will be responsible for RBC’s fixed-income and currencies business in Asia, overseeing operations in Hong Kong, Beijing and Singapore. He replaces Mike Bass, who left at the end of last year.
Laine was most recently regional head of the financial institutions group in Asia ex-Japan at Credit Agricole. Before that, he was head of Asia ex-Japan fixed-income markets at Credit Agricole. Laine joins RBC Capital Markets with more than 20 years of experience in Asian markets, having been based in Hong Kong for his entire career.
He will report to Harry Samuel and Jonathan Hunter, the global co-heads of fixed income and currencies at RBC Capital Markets. “Frederic’s appointment reflects the continued commitment and focus that RBC is placing on Asia and the importance of Hong Kong as the hub for our fixed income and currencies franchise in the region,” said Hunter in a release.
Laine’s appointment follows that of Doug Moore, who joined RBC Capital Markets as head of Asia in April 2011. RBC Capital Markets now employs more than 370 people in Asia-Pacific with operations in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing and Sydney.
The growing strength of RBC's overall franchise in the region has become apparent with the recent acquisition of Northumbrian Water by Cheung Kong Infrastructure. RBC is advising the Hong Kong firm on the transaction.
