Nate Emerson to head ABN Amro's Asia Pacific Equities

ABN Amro, Europe's fifth largest banking group, has named Nate Emerson chief executive officer of Asia Pacific Equities.

Emerson, 33, is based in Taipei, where he has served as ABN Amro's country chief executive for Taiwan Equities for the last two years. He is due to move to Hong Kong and take over from existing CEO Roger Sharp, by the end of the year.

"My appointment represents continuity as well as ABN Amro's desire to align sales and research with what clients really want," Emerson said.

Sharp will take up a new position in London where he will be responsible for establishing and coordinating the delivery of ABN Amro's banking products for global technology clients worldwide.

"Nate is highly energetic, focused and a great role model," said Sharp. "I am confident he will lead the team to the next level of client service and market recognition."

A graduate of Dartmouth College, where he studied Chinese language and history, Emerson has positioned ABN Amro as a market-leader in Taiwan during his time as country chief, and, previously, as head of sales. Nick Bannister, chairman of ABN Amro's Global Equities Directorate, said: "Having the skills to build a robust client-facing business is the key differentiator in our industry. We believe Nate has the credentials and the vision for this job."