Leading financial service provider Barclays has promoted Makram Azar to chairman of banking for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).

In his expanded role, Makram will focus his efforts on strengthening senior client relations and collaborating with the senior management team in order to implement the strategy of Barclays across the EMEA region, said a statement.

In order to further enhance the banking platform in the region, Barclays also promoted Sam Dean and Crispin Osborne to be co-heads of banking, investment bank for the EMEA, filling a role that has been vacant for a year after its previous holder Richard Taylor took on global oversight of the business, according to an internal memo issued by the bank and published by Reuters.

"We are highly focused on driving returns across our entire Banking franchise," the memo said.

"We have made good progress in EMEA, but we need to take our business further forward. Deepening our client relationships in EMEA at the most senior levels, with additional intensity and focus, and ensuring our capital is fully aligned with our priority clients will be major objectives for the new leadership team,” it said.

Azar had joined Barclays in 2010, and was most recently appointed chairman of all of all Barclays’ businesses and activities in the Middle East and North Africa.

He will maintain this role in addition to his new expanded mandate. - TradeArabia News Service