Credit Suisse names new PH investment banking heads

MANILA, Philippines–European bank Credit Suisse has announced top management appointments for its investment banking unit in the Philippines.

In a statement from Hong Kong, CS named Chiqui Huang and Johnny Escaler as co-heads of the investment banking department for the Philippines, effective immediately.

Huang and Escaler will jointly lead the bank’s coverage of clients in the Philippines and development of its franchise in this key market. They will report to Vikram Malhotra and Helman Sitohang, Asia Pacific co-heads of investment banking department at Credit Suisse.

“These appointments further demonstrate our commitment to Philippines, which has become an increasingly attractive market as investors increasingly appreciate the country’s potential and economic resilience,” Sitohang said, commenting on the appointments.

Huang has been a key part of Credit Suisse’s investment banking team in Manila since 2004. She has also led many high profile capital raising, liability management, as well as merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions for the government and leading corporations in the country. Prior to Credit Suisse, she had worked for JP Morgan Chase, focusing on investment banking and corporate banking businesses. She graduated from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Escaler was previously connected to Goldman Sachs based in Singapore from 2008 to 2012. He was an executive director responsible for Philippine coverage of the fixed income, currencies and commodities group. Prior to Goldman, he had worked at ING Bank Manila as head of financial markets sales and ING New York as an emerging markets fixed income trader. He holds an MBA from Columbia University.

Credit Suisse has been a leading financial advisor to the government and top companies in the Philippines since 1992. In 2011, Credit Suisse raised its stake in the country by establishing an onshore brokerage in Manila to build its strong regional cash equities business.

Biz Buzz earlier reported that Simon Paterno, managing director and head of Credit Suisse’s Philippine office, is leaving Credit Suisse to head the Philippine banking operations of Malaysian banking giant CIMB, once the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas approves CIMB’s acquisition of a controlling stake in Bank of Commerce.