Barclays Names Neel Laungani as Head of Sponsors in APAC

Barclays has appointed Neel Laungani as Head of Financial Sponsors for Asia Pacific, strengthening its investment banking franchise in the region. Based in Hong Kong, Laungani will oversee sponsor coverage, transaction execution, and origination, reporting to Avinash Thakur, Barclays' APAC head of investment banking, and Christian Oberle, the global head of financial sponsors.

The appointment comes as Barclays pursues growth under a three-year strategic plan. Thakur said Laungani's role will be critical in scaling the bank's advisory and equity capital markets services for sponsor clients, an area the firm has identified as a key priority.

Laungani brings nearly 30 years of experience. He spent 14 years at Lehman Brothers, where he served as Head of TMT for Asia Pacific, before moving on to senior leadership roles at Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered. His most recent position was at Credit Suisse, where he headed financial sponsors coverage in Asia Pacific and also acted as vice-chairman for TMT coverage.

For Barclays, the hire signals an emphasis on attracting veteran bankers to deepen client coverage and expand its footprint in the competitive APAC market.