Goldman banking on a plan to return to growth mode
hong kong — Goldman Sachs Group plans to add about half a dozen senior bankers over the next six months or so and invest more in Asia using its balance sheet as the Wall Street firm seeks to switch to a growth mode in investment banking, a top executive said.
After years of squeezing costs with lower headcount, tighter compensation and retrenchment from some segments in investment banking following the global financial crisis, Goldman is ready to change tack, said Gregg Lemkau, who was named co-head at its investment banking division in May.
“The mindset we’re taking on is one of a shift towards growth,” Lemkau said in one of his first media interviews since assuming the new post, during a trip through Asia. “We’ve probably squeezed about as much as we can out of the business and as we look ahead, we see an opportunity to invest in growth to try to drive the business forward.” Investment banking accounted for about 22 per cent of Goldman’s half-year 2017 revenue.
Goldman’s shift to a growth focus in investment banking, which has not been detailed before, comes amid a weak performance in its core bond-trading unit, and an expected rollback of onerous regulations for banks under the administration of US President Donald Trump. The New York-based firm hired Credit Suisse veteran Jeff Douthit in June, naming him a partner and head of global business and consumer services.
It could add another two or three more senior hires by the end of the year and another two or three in early 2018, Lemkau said. “The initial focus is on a handful of strategic hires globally to try and really grow the top line and drive the business,” he added. “We’re not going to start adding aggressively; but we would like to strategically and selectively enhance the team.”
The company has hired about 25 people, mostly junior bankers, over the past nine months to one year in Japan, Australia and other countries in Asia, betting GDP growth in China and other emerging economies will drive its investment banking revenue. —