Citigroup’s Keefe is Asia-Pacific corporate banking head

Bloomberg

Citigroup Inc. said it has named Gerald Keefe as its Hong Kong-based head of corporate banking for the Asia-Pacific region, a newly created role.
Keefe, currently head of corporate banking for Japan, will take on responsibilities for Citigroup bankers in the region dealing with companies, financial institutions and public-sector entities, according to a press release. Agnes Liew, another senior corporate banker, has been appointed the region’s vice chairman of corporate banking. Both will commence their new roles in the second quarter, the release said.
Citigroup is aiming to grow revenues from corporate banking as some European banks reduce their presence in Asia. The U.S. bank’s unit offers services in foreign exchange, trade finance, capital markets, structured products and loan clearing.
Keefe will report to Mark Slaughter, head of Asia-Pacific corporate and investment banking, and Michael Roberts, Citigroup’s global head of corporate banking. He joined Citigroup in 2006, became a managing director in 2009, and was named head of banking and origination for the securitized products business in the U.S. the following year. In 2014, he was appointed to his current role.
Liew will act as a senior adviser on corporate banking, Citigroup said. She has spent 33 years with the bank and has held various roles including head of corporate banking for Singapore and risk manager for Taiwan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, before taking her current role as
corporate banking head for Asia Pacific.

Keefe’s new role will have wider responsibilities than Liew’s current job.
Citigroup said it will appoint a replacement for Keefe as head of corporate banking for Japan in due course.