Troika Dialog, Russia’s oldest and largest private investment bank, has appointed Kanako Sekine as managing director and COO of Troika Capital Partners, the bank’s private equity arm.

Neil Withers is taking over as VTB’s senior vice-president and head of investor relations and capital raising division. Since 2000, he has been a consultant with Vozrozhdenie Bank, and in 2003 joined the bank as advisor to the chairman. He had particular responsibilities for investor relations and strategy.

UniCredit Markets & Investment Banking (MIB) has strengthened its equity capital markets (ECM) team and appointed Christian Steffens as deputy head of global ECM, Mark Coxon as global head of equity and equity-linked syndicate and Tijs Jansen as a senior originator within ECM origination.

DLA Piper is taking on Tony Holland in its finance and projects practice in Dubai as regional head of finance. He brings over 25 years of extensive banking, project finance and infrastructure finance experience.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has appointed Plutarchos Sakellaris as vice-president. His responsibilities on the EIB’s management committee include supervising financing operations in Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. Sakellaris also takes over the EIB’s economic and financial studies division.

The board of Old Mutual has accepted the resignation of its chief executive, Jim Sutcliffe. Julian Roberts, who has been CEO of Skandia since February 2006 and before that group finance director of Old Mutual, is taking over as new CEO.

HSBC Global Banking and Markets has hired Raj Sinha to be head of equity research, Saudi Arabia. Sinha will be based in Riyadh and will cover listed companies in the kingdom and MENA region for regional and international clients.

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) has appointed Abdulla Al Hamli as its new chief executive officer. Al Hamli, who previously served as chief of operations and information technology at DIB, has worked at the bank for nine years, following 16 in progressively senior positions at leading public and private-sector organisations in Dubai, including more than a decade and a half as director of information systems at the Dubai Ports Authority and Jebel Ali Free Zone.

Alan Pullinger, who has been deputy CEO since April, will take over as CEO of Rand Merchant Bank. He replaces Michael Pfaff who will remain on the RMB divisional board until December.

Investec Investment Bank and Securities, the specialist investment bank, has announced two appointments as the bank continues to build on its position as a leading mid-market specialist. Gareth Taylor has joined as a director in the corporate finance division to lead Investec’s coverage of private equity clients and Matthew Wesley has joined the expanding debt advisory team as an associate director.

The year so far has been slow for Eurobond issuance in Africa, but BOAD’s debut transaction suggests investors are overcoming their risk aversion. 

French bank splits role between former corporate finance head and deputy risk officer as Thierry Aulagnon retires.