Alex Noujaim has left Nomura Securities International North America in New York and relinquished his duties as head of the fixed-income unit. He had already departed as of press time last Friday morning and a message left for him seeking comment was not returned, nor were several calls to David Findlay, the firm's chief legal officer. Noujaim's replacement could not be learned.
A Nomura employee read BondWeek a copy of an internal e-mail sent around the firm's New York headquarters last Friday morning. The e-mail, from co-CEO Hideyuki Takahashi, stated: Effectively immediately, Alex Noujaim will cease to be head of fixed income at Nomura Securities International North America and is currently in discussion with management. We wish to take this moment to reemphasize the firm's commitment to fixed-income.
Noujaim had been with Nomura since March, 2000. He de-emphasized the once high-profile mortgage-backed securities trading operation. Several arbitration claims were filed against him and the firm by the former head of agency trading, Bob Walton, and the former co-head of MBS, Charles Smart (BW, 8/21/2000).