Leon Christianakis has left his position as CEO of agency broker and technology provider ITG’s Asian business to take up an as-yet-unspecified role at Macquarie, the Australian-listed banking and financial services group.
Sources at ITG confirmed the departure of Christianakis, who was appointed to run the firm’s Asian operations in Q2 2009, earlier this week. Christianakis will be replaced by Alasdair Thomson, who has been COO of ITG’s Asia operations for more than nine years. Michael Corcoran, who recently relocated to ITG’s Hong Kong office, remains in his role as regional head of sales and trading. A spokesperson for ITG said the change of leadership would result in very little change from a client perspective.
Sources at Macquarie confirmed that Melbourne-based Christianakis is joining the firm, but declined to comment on his role. Macquarie already has a strong equity broking business in the Asia-Pacific business, following the acquisition of ING’s business around five years ago. The firm recently expanded its global brokerage ambitions with the acquisition of Fox-Pitt, Kelton and Sal. Oppenheim’s cash equities business.
Zimbabwean-born Christianakis previously held senior roles at Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong and Deutsche Asset Management, where he was head of trading.