BarCap strengthens FX in Singapore and Tokyo

Barclays Capital has added more senior personnel to its foreign exchange teams in Singapore and Tokyo.

James Hassett has joined as director of FX forwards trading in Singapore, moving from Customs House Capital, where he headed the short-term interest rate trading team. Jun Arachi has joined as a director of corporate FX sales in Japan, based in Tokyo; he moves from Mizuho Corporate Bank.

BarCap will also move Dean Tonkin, head of FX forwards for the Asia-Pacific region, to Tokyo from Singapore next month, to take on the additional role of head of FX trading for Japan.

Meanwhile, Yue Wu has joined the Singapore office as head of FX distribution for the Asia-Pacific region. He was formerly head of FX distribution for Merrill Lynch in Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Scott Richards has also joined BarCap in Singapore. He moves from Amsterdam, where he covered G-7 spot trading, to take up a post as director of FX spot trading, reporting to the Singapore head of spot trading, Justin Gray.

The moves are part of a long-term strategy of increasing BarCap's presence in east Asia, according to Steve Weller, head of Asia-Pacific FX trading, who added: "These additions to our team and a more focused approach to FX trading in Japan will add good momentum to the continued build of our FX franchise across Asia-Pacific."