British bank Barclays has named Katherine Lau as head of its loan syndication team in Asia Pacific, at what may be a pivotal point for the loan market in the region.
Loan volume across Asia Pacific ex-Japan totalled $175.9 billion during the first six months of 2013, the lowest volume for the first half of the year since 2010, as companies flocked to bond markets to lock in historically cheap interest rates instead. However, long-term rates have been climbing since the US Federal Reserve said in May that it might taper its bond-buying programme in the coming months.
Based in Hong Kong, Lau will report directly to Jonathan Macdonald, head of loan syndicate for Europe, the Middle East and Asia, as well as for the Asia-Pacific region. She will also work under Kentaro Kiso, head of syndicate for Asia Pacific.
Lau joins Barclays from Goldman Sachs, where she was an executive director in the loans team in Hong Kong.
Lau has 20 years of experience in the loans business in Asia having also held previous syndicate positions at Deutsche Bank and J.P. Morgan.
Amit Lakhwani was the director for loan syndicate also based in Hong Kong but has already left the bank.
