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JPMorgan shuffles treasury deck

The bank brings a treasury strategist out from London and announces two new hires in operations and trade management.

JPMorgan's treasury services division has announced three senior appointments. Mario Tombazzi becomes Asia Pacific manager of segment strategy, while Jamieson Bryan is hired to run technology and operations, and Alfred Lim heads up sales for a bolt-on trade business called Vastera.

Tombazzi is based in Singapore and reports directly to JPMorgan's regional head of product management, Kevan Albrighton, in Hong Kong. Tombazzi will be responsible for identifying and reviewing emerging opportunities across the financial transaction services industry and developing strategies to grow the business in new and existing markets.

His shift to Asia comes after a seven-year stint with the bank in London where he held a similar strategy role as part of a team of specialists. Prior to that he worked with Kuwait Petroleum, and prior to that IBM.

JPMorgan's regional executive for treasury services, Alexander Caviezel, says Tombazzi will be able to articulate appropriate product strategies for clients based in Asia. "Mario's appointment adds a cross-regional perspective for our global clients across all sectors," he says.

Jamieson Bryan, meantime, takes on the regional job of technology and operations at JPMorgan. He has joined the bank from IBM where he was the project executive in charge of the DBS Hong Kong Strategic Outsourcing account and was also the transformation lead for the Greater China Group.

Bryan is no stranger to the bank. When JPMorgan outsourced some of its technology to IBM a few years ago, Bryan handled the account.

Bryan will be based at the firm's technology hub at Sha Tin in Hong Kong and replaces Greg Whittle who has repatriated to Australia and now heads up the JPMorgan treasury services in Australia and New Zealand.

Still on its hiring spree, JPMorgan has appointed Alfred Lim as regional head of sales for its Vastera product company which falls under trade, e-payables and card solutions.

JPMorgan acquired Vastera earlier this year. The company is a provider of global trade management solutions which automates trade processes associated with the physical movement of goods around the world.

Lim has worked in supply chain and logistics for 18 years, most recently with Kuehne & Nagel Lead Logistics (known as KNLL) where he was the Asia point man for all transportation management, contract logistics and trade and compliance issues. Before that he held positions with Ryder Integrated Logistics, Lucent Technologies, and Digital Equipment Inc.

"Sophisticated global importers and exporters pose increasing demands on financial institutions," says Caviezel. "Alfred's role will be to manage Vastera and help us to provide seamless management of information and processes in the trade process."

Lim will be based in Singapore, reporting to both the global head of sales for JPMorgan Chase Vastera, Tod Burwell, and to the regional head of trade, Bruce Alter.