JPMorgan eyes European expansion with key M&A exec hire

by Dinesh Nair

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is hiring HSBC Holdings Plc’s global head of mergers and acquisitions, Kamal Jabre. 

The London-based banker will join JPMorgan later this year as a vice chair of M&A to help expand the business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg. He’ll work closely with JPMorgan’s coverage teams and partner with its financial sponsors, natural resources and Middle East and North Africa groups. 

The move comes after HSBC announced earlier this year it will wind down some of its investment banking operations in large parts of the world amid a broader overhaul. Some other senior bankers have also left, with Citigroup Inc. hiring HSBC’s Ed Sankey as head of equity capital markets for Europe, the UK, Middle East and Africa, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month. 

Before joining HSBC, Jabre spent more than two decades on Morgan Stanley’s investment banking team, where he held positions including head of European financial sponsors coverage and deputy head of EMEA investment banking. He also worked as chief executive officer of its Middle East and North Africa business. 

JPMorgan is also appointing Marc Pandraud as a vice chair of M&A, according to the memo. He joined JPMorgan in 2016 as a vice chairman of investment banking, focusing on client relationships in France, after previously holding senior roles at firms including Deutsche Bank AG and Bank of America Corp. 

A spokesperson for JPMorgan confirmed the contents of the memo. A representative for HSBC confirmed Jabre’s departure, declining to comment further. 

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