Jefferies taps Citigroup veteran to head Asia investment banking

[HONG KONG] Jefferies Financial Group hired former Citigroup veteran Christopher Laskowski as head of Asia investment banking to bolster its growth in the region.

Laskowski joins the firm after most recently working at MSA Capital in Hong Kong, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg that was confirmed by a spokesperson for Jefferies.

He left Citigroup earlier this year after more than two decades at the US bank, where he held senior roles including chief operating officer of Asia-Pacific corporate and investment banking.

Laskowski's "experience in building a leading investment banking franchise in Asia will help to continue our strong revenue and market share growth in the region", Murray Wilson, president of Jefferies Asia, said in the memo.

Jefferies, which has been expanding in Asia in recent years, saw its global revenue rise by 50 per cent to a record US$5.4 billion in the first nine months of the year.

BLOOMBERG