Nomura to hire Williams for Asia equity markets

Nomura Holdings Inc. hired Mark Williams from UBS AG to lead its equity capital markets team in Asia outside Japan, said two people with knowledge of the decision. Williams, who ran Asia equity capital markets for UBS, will replace Geoffrey Feldkamp, who left Japan’s biggest brokerage recently, said the people, who declined to be identified because the information is private. Nomura, the top arranger of equity offerings in Japan in all but one year since 1999, is building its business overseas after acquiring the Asian and European units of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc in 2008. While Nomura has failed to break into the top ranks of equity underwriters outside its home market, UBS has been among the top three in Asia-Pacific since 2005. Companies raised $120.3bn in equity sales, including rights issues and convertible bonds, in Asia-Pacific in 2009, generating $3.2bn of fees, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Nomura ranked 16th among arrangers of such sales in 2009. UBS has been the second-largest arranger in the region since 2007, the data show. Williams may start his new job in Hong Kong as early as in August, said one of the people. He will report to Patrick Schmitz-Morkramer, Nomura’s head of investment banking in the region, the people said.