Standard Chartered private bank has named a new chief operating officer, finews.asia can report exclusively. The private banker is one of several alumni of British bank Barclays.


By Shruti Advani, Guest Contributor finews.asia


Standard Chartered promoted Robert Leighton as operating chief for its private bank in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, finews.asia has learned. A spokeswoman for the bank confirmed the hire to finews.asia on Monday. 

Leighton is one of a crop of private bankers poached from rival Barclays in recent months: he joined Standard Chartered as the business planning manager in wealth management for ASEAN and south Asia two years ago. Other notable former Barclays private bankers to join include Didier von Daeniken and Harry Lai last year, as well as Vivian Chan two years ago.

Several ex-Barclays private bankers decided to re-connect with von Daeniken in Singapore. Vishal Jain joined Standard Chartered after more than eight years at Barclays. He was joined by Srinivas Siripurapu, another former Barclays wealth banker who now leads Standard Chartered's private banking business and teams in ASEAN and south Asia.