How to catch the eye of the new big fixed income hirer in London

Just when you thought there was next to no hiring happening in London, Japanese bank Mizuho has announced an impressive roster of new fixed income hires. 

After ejecting its previous cohort of recently recruited fixed income traders along with its former head of fixed income trading, Zahra Peerbhoy, in May 2019, Mizuho has been rebuilding its business under Asif Godall, who was appointed as head of global markets EMEA in February 2019. Godall promptly hired Claus Jorgensen as its new head of EMEA credit trading. Jorgensen is a former HSBC trader who reportedly sued the bank for unfair dismissal after being fired in 2015. 

The next round of new Mizuho hires arrived in June, when Godall recruited two former HSBC colleagues to work with Jorgensen, plus a former Nomura and a former Bank of America trader. Today, Mizuho announced the addition of a further three people to Jorgensen's team, plus three to the sales team run by Roy Martins.

One of Jorgensen's new hires was a contemporary at HSBC. Ed Brunni was a senior corporate credit trader at the bank who overlapped with Jorgensen. Another new hire, high yield credit trader Steve Munday, comes from Bank America. The last, Chris Nias, in securitized products trading, joins from Barclays. 

Mizuho's three sales hires - Tristan Lagarrigue, Russell Feldman and Jack Czarnota - join from Credit Agricole, NatWest Markets and Jefferies, respectively.

One additional trading hire - Johnny Vivas - joins from Deutsche and will report to Greg Hickling, head of cash rates trading. Vivas is Mizuho's second ex-Deutsche hire in a month after the bank also recruited Rakesh Kadakia, the former DB head of convertible trading in New York. Vivas appears to have crossed paths with Campbell Gilbert, the former head of linear rates derivative trading at Mizuho, who last month returned to Deutsche. 

Is the end of Mizuho's fixed income rebuild in London? The Japanese bank isn't saying, although Godall said the bank is committed to, "building and strengthening," the fixed income business.

What if you want to get in with Jorgensen? It might help to have worked at HSBC. Failing that, you could try 67 Pall Mall, the Mayfair members club that specialises in fine wine and fine dining. Sources say it's a favourite hangout of Mizuho traders in London. If you're looking for an opening fixed income, a membership might be a helpful route to a new job.

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