Bank of America-Merrill's Asia global markets head quits: note

[March 02, 2015]  SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Loh Boon Chye, head of Asia-Pacific global markets for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, has decided to leave the firm, an internal note said, more than two years after joining the U.S. bank from Deutsche Bank.

Loh's sudden departure came after his name was mentioned as one of the potential successors for outgoing Singapore Exchange Chief Executive Magnus Bocker in an article by Singapore's Straits Times newspaper last week.

Singapore Exchange did not respond to a request for comment.

Loh, who was also country executive for Singapore and Southeast Asia, plans to take a break before deciding on his next endeavor, according to BAML's internal note seen by Reuters said.

"Since joining in 2012, Boon Chye has helped build the global markets franchise across the region to the leading position we enjoy today, driving a strategy that has increased our market share and deepened our client penetration," the note said.

Chris Gammons had been appointed country executive for Singapore and Southeast Asia for the U.S. bank, the note said.

Loh joined BAML in late 2012 from Deutsche Bank, where he worked for 17 years until leaving the German lender in March.

Loh's appointment then marked the first time BAML's global markets Asia business was being managed by a single leader.

Known for his close ties with the financial institutions of his home country, Loh began his career as an investment officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore in 1989 and was a non-independent director of the Singapore Exchange from 2004 to 2012.

(Reporting by Saeed Azhar; editing by Susan Thomas)

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