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by Baz Hiralal
Marex Spectron Group named John Wall, most recently global co-head of investment banking at UBS, as group CEO, subject to the usual regulatory approval. Wall joined UBS in London in 1986, and worked in Frankfurt and Hong Kong, where he was head of equities trading for Asia and Japan. He retired from UBS last year.
Robert W. Baird & Co. added Owen Hart to its investment banking business as a managing director in its mergers and acquisitions practice, based in San Francisco. Hart spent the last nine years at Cowen and Co. LLC as a managing director and head of West Coast mergers and acquisitions, focused on consumer and technology deals. Prior to Cowen, he spent four years as a founding partner at Thomas Weisel Partners LLC, where he led the consumer, business services, semiconductor, semiconductor capital equipment and storage M&A practices. Before that, Hart held senior banking roles at Montgomery Securities, where he helped found its business services investment banking practice and led the business services M&A practice. Hart also helped found Lazard's real estate group and started his career at Drexel Burnham Lambert.
Patrick O'Brien was named CEO of the Asia Pacific region at Aviva Investors, reporting to interim chief executive Paul Abberley. O'Brien replaces Erich Gerth, who left the firm after three and a half years.
O'Brien joined Aviva in September 2010 as chief executive of North America. He will retain that responsibility. From 2008 to 2009, he was head of international for Wachovia Global Asset Management. O'Brien was also president, institutional asset management, with Evergreen Investment Management since 2000. Before that, he spent 14 years at Banc One Investment Advisors Corp., most recently as a senior managing director.
Donald McGuire is now chief operating officer and head of investment banking at NewOak Capital. McGuire was managing partner of KDM Advisors in Greenwich, Conn., working on restructuring companies. Previous to that, he was chairman and CEO of Metastatin Pharmaceuticals Inc., leading the preclinical biopharmaceutical company from early stage through its 200 sale to Samaritan Pharmaceuticals Inc. Earlier, McGuire was president, COO and director of beenz.com in New York and London. He was also managing director and COO of investment banking for the Americas at ING Barings/Furman Selz in New York.
Investment adviser Pyxis Capital hired Keith Watts as head of national sales for its distribution team. Watts hails from Destra Capital Investments, where he was national sales manager for RIA and institutional distribution in the U.S. He has held sales and business development roles at Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Janus Capital Group.
Kleinwort Benson hired Andrew Warren as head of business management and Jonathan Hibbs as private wealth management support team leader. Warren spent a decade at Deutsche Bank AG, most recently as head of the relationship service team, Channel Islands, Middle East and Africa. Hibbs was an account manager in DB's private client team.
Rashid Bin Ali Al-Mansoori was named CEO of Qatar Exchange. He replaces Andre Went, who came aboard after the exchange created a partnership with NYSE Euronext on June 19, 2009. Went remains as a strategic adviser.
Al-Mansoori has been deputy CEO. He was previously an information technology director at Qatar Investment Authority, where he set up the IT department.
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC appointed Andrew Kistler III as senior vice president and manager, Southeast region. Kistler joins Janney from Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., where he worked since 2009.
The firm also added the Palmetto Advisory Group, working from Janney's Columbia and Hilton Head branches in South Carolina. With about $220 million in client assets, the team will be led by senior vice presidents of wealth management E.H. Stanley Jr. and Geddings Crawford Jr.
Marcus Herrmann, a mergers and acquisitions and corporate lawyer, joined Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP's Frankfurt office as a partner. Herrmann was a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP, where he was one of the founding partners of the Frankfurt bureau in 2002.
Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP took on Gareth Davies as a director in the mergers and acquisitions team, based in London and the Thames Valley. He focuses on technology, media and telecommunications. Prior to this, Davies worked at PWC Corporate Finance and Morgan Stanley.
Clippings from the next column:
-- Avista Capital Partners hires Phil Seskin from Verizon Communications Inc., where he was senior vice president of corporate development.
-- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. LP's Lee Stern joins Levine Leichtman Capital Partners.
-- Brean Capital LLC adds Scott Buchta, formerly of Sandler O'Neill & Partners LP, as head of fixed income strategy.
-- Houlihan Lokey Inc. brings in Philippe Zrihen as a managing director, real estate investment banking.
-- Raman Srivastava joins Standish Mellon Asset Management Co. LLC as co-deputy chief investment officer and managing director of global fixed income.
-- Walker & Dunlop Inc. enlists John Pantone as a senior vice president, capital markets.
Patrick O'Brien was named CEO of the Asia Pacific region at Aviva Investors, reporting to interim chief executive Paul Abberley.
