Derivs - People and Markets

Glenn Schiffman has left as head of Nomura Holdings’ investment bank in the Americas a year after taking the position.

Citigroup has hired Wei Wei Zhao as managing director of its China investment banking team.

LCH.Clearnet is making the over-the-counter derivatives market its top priority this year, according to Roger Liddell, its ceo.

U.S. regulators need to reconsider proposed levels for block trade thresholds, Robert Pickel, executive vice chairman of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, told Derivatives Week in an exclusive interview.

UBS has appointed traders Olivier Pollak and Chris Neale to new roles as the firm continues to build out its equity derivative capabilities.

Central counterparty master bridge agreements and updates to the 2(a)(iii) default provision may not make for headlines as sexy as last year when it comes to the International Swaps and Derivatives Association 2011 Annual General Meeting in Prague, but they will certainly get industry-types excited.

Nomura has hired Emmanuel Slezack as a managing director and head of Asia Pacific index flow trading in Hong Kong.

Bart Chilton, a member on the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, said differing regulations for derivatives between the U.S. and Europe could lead to a “race to the bottom,” with players migrating to the poorest regulated jurisdictions.

The 16 banks in Hong Kong that sold Lehman Brothers-backed minibonds have agreed to pay up to 96.5% of losses investors suffered from the instruments--well above the 60% offered by the banks two years ago.

The International Monetary Fund said new regulations governing over-the-counter derivatives could shift risk from banks to clearinghouses, leading to concerns about those systemically important facilities.

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission has approved the Lyxor Epsilon Managed Futures Fund for sale, the latest in the SFC’s move to accept alternative investment strategies.

Nomura Holdings has appointed 13 new group senior managing directors, including several investment-banking and equities heads.