Nomura shifts management team in U.S.

Nomura Holdings Inc., a Japanese securities firm that has an on-again, off-again presence in the United States, has announced a reorganization that includes a reshuffle of executives in its North American operations. As of April 1, Naoki Matsuba will become president and chief executive for the Americas at Nomura, charged with driving its “build-out in the U.S.,” the company said today in a news release. In addition to heading the U.S. and Canadian unit, Mr. Matsuba will be chairman and CEO of Nomura Securities International Inc., which comprises the firm's non-Japanese operations, subject to local internal and regulatory approvals. Mr. Matsuba, who has been based in New York in his current role as head of global equities, replaces Shigesuke Kashiwagi as CEO for the Americas. Mr. Kashiwagi, who had been in the U.S. for almost four years, will return to Tokyo to establish a new Government Affairs and Risk Advisory Group, the company said. Mr. Matsuba will retain his position as co-head of global equities while managing the broader North American businesses. He will be joined in the equities role by Rachid Bouzouba, who currently runs equities in Europe, the Middle East and Asia for Nomura. In other changes, Nomura is promoting Hiromasa Yamazaki, now deputy CEO of global markets, to CEO. He will oversee equities, fixed-income and asset finance for the firm worldwide. Akira Maruyama, who currently fills that role, will become deputy president of Nomura Securities, with responsibilities for the public sector, and also oversee the Nomura Institute of Capital Markets Research. Nomura, which operates one of Japan's largest retail-brokerage operations, does not have a retail presence in the U.S.