CITI announced April 20 the appointment of Alex Cartel as managing director and head of investment banking for Citi Australia and New Zealand.

Cartel is one of Australia’s most experienced M&A and ECM advisers and joins Citi from Deutsche Bank Australia, where he was managing director and head of investment banking coverage.

During his 20 year career, Cartel has been involved in a number of significant transactions in Australia, including, most recently, the A$600 million (US$379 million) sales by Kirin of their Lion Drinks and Dairy businesses to China Mengniu and Saputo.

Cartel, who is also president of the Australian Takeovers Panel, will commence at Citi in July and report to Tony Osmond, who is the head of Citi’s banking, capital markets and advisory function, which encompasses all of Citi’s corporate advisory, capital markets and lending business in Australia and New Zealand.

Commenting on the appointment Osmond says: “We are experiencing a strong increase in fundraising activity and expect this to grow further to include increased M&A activity in the second half and beyond. The addition of Alex to our banking, capital markets and advisory leadership team will ensure we have the capability in place to deliver for our clients.”

In addition, Citi also named managing directors Rob Jahrling and Hamish Whitehead as co-heads of Citi Australia and New Zealand’s equity capital markets, reporting to John McLean, who heads Citi Australia and New Zealand’s capital markets origination function.

Whitehead joined Citi as a managing director in 2015 and is based in Melbourne where he leads ECM origination and execution for Melbourne clients, and coverage of the transport and utilities sector. Jahrling joined Citi in 2010 and leads ECM origination and execution from Sydney as well as coverage of the resources sector. He was promoted to managing director in 2019.