TRADING PLACES

 Bradley Leek, former FX manager for Union Bank of Switzerland in London, has joined Bankers Trust in a new position as global head of sales. He is currently working in London, but will transfer to New York in October. He reports to Ivan Ritossa, global head of FX in London, and is charged with managing the bank's global distribution network and continuing Bankers' commitment to building a strong global client franchise, according to Ritossa. Leek spent the past nine years with UBS. According to a spokesperson, Leek will be building an international FX sales force.

 Howard (Buddy) Carter, global head of FX sales and European FX manager at Lehman Brothers in London, has relocated to New York; however, he maintains responsibility for global FX sales. Carter joined Lehman in February 1997 as executive director in charge of global FX sales. He previously spent 13 years at Goldman Sachs and was in charge of FX sales for the Asia region for Goldman Sachs (Asia) Finance, based in Hong Kong, before he made the move to London with Lehman. "After five years on the road, it will be good to be based back in New York for a while," says Carter. In his role as European FX sales manager, Carter is being succeeded by Marco Musciacco, who was previously head of the Italian FX sales business for Lehman in London.

 Meanwhile, Lehman Brothers has appointed Bob Berlin as head of its New York hedge fund and portfolio FX sales division. He will report to Garry Popofsky, senior vice president and head of New York FX sales. According to Lehman's spokesperson, Berlin was previously at Morgan Stanley, where he was a vice president covering hedge funds, central banks, mutual funds and government agencies. Morgan Stanley officials did not return calls by press time.

 United News & Media has announced the appointment of Graham Hill as the new chief executive of the group's money and securities broking division. His oversight includes Harlow Butler, the firm's money broking division, and Garban, its securities broking business. Hill, who was previously chief executive of United's market research division, NOP Information Group, replaces Gerry Wilton, who has stepped down from the position after 26 years. Jim Rose will replace Hill as chief executive of NOP. Rose is currently chief executive of Blackwell's Information Services, a global publishing distribution business based in Oxford, and will start his new job in September.

 Clarence Seals has reportedly joined the institutional sales desk at Royal Bank of Canada in New York, according to sources. Seals was previously with Deutsche Bank, and was among the original group that moved from Citibank to Deutsche in 1994 (FXW, April 25, 1994). Diego Giurleo, head of treasury for RBC in the US, did not return calls by press time.

 Steve Bassi is joining Nomura International in London to run the FX options desk, confirms a spokesperson. Bassi joins the Japanese bank after a brief spell at Bank of America (BofA), where he was chief spot dealer in London. Bassi joined BofA in May, reporting to Conor Dufficy, BofA's head of European FX trading (FXW, May 11). Before BofA, Bassi was head of spot FX trading at First Chicago NBD, until he resigned in February (FXW, February 23). At Nomura, Bassi will report to Michael Cornford, deputy general manager of the bank's global FX division. He has not yet been replaced at BofA. Additionally, Martin Humphreys has joined Nomura's new night desk in London, according to market sources. He was most recently a spot yen dealer at Nikko Bank in London, although sources say Humphreys left the bank several months ago.

 Den Danske Bank has hired Robert DeLuca as its new chief spot dealer in New York, confirms treasurer JP Neergaard. DeLuca was most recently with Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank in New York, where he concentrated on dollar/mark. Prior to DKB, he spent time with Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers. In addition to DeLuca, Anita Pickett has joined Den Danske's spot desk, from the former Union Bank of Switzerland in New York.

 Robin Fullard has joined Detroit's Comerica Bank in Canada as vice president and treasurer. Fullard was most recently head of FX sales for the former Union Bank of Switzerland in Toronto, but that office is being closed and Fullard opted not to transfer to Stamford, according to sources.

 Mark Coulam, a former mark/yen trader at the Industrial Bank of Japan in London, has moved to WestLB to cover mark/yen and dollar/yen. He replaces Dan Jones, who recently left WestLB to join Nomura International (FXW, June 29). In his new position, Coulam reports to Richard Hill, head of FX trading. Coulam has not been replaced at IBJ and his responsibilities are being covered internally, according to a source.

 Lester Freeman has joined BankBoston in London as a vice president in the capital markets division, trading spot Far Eastern currencies, says an official. Sources say he was previously with First Chicago NBD.

 Hongkong Bank of Canada has hired Robert Kent to head a precious metals sales effort covering North America. Kent was previously at CIBC Wood Gundy in Toronto covering FX and money market sales. In his new role, he reports to Brad Meredith, treasurer in Toronto.

 Officials confirm that Peter Leccacorvi, a director of Tullett & Tokyo's FX division in London, has switched responsibilities to focus on spot emerging currencies. Leccacorvi previously covered European currencies, with a particular emphasis on sterling/mark. He continues reporting to Michael Brown, head of spot and forward FX in London.

 Officials confirm that Russell Sears has joined Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) as a spot Deutsche mark trader. Sears replaces Christopher Day, who has transferred to the New Zealand dollar desk. Day is taking over Kiwi trading from Laura Coston, who left the bank several weeks ago. Market sources say that Sears was previously a spot mark/yen trader at Tokai Bank in London, although officials there decline comment. In his new position, he will report in to Bernard Kipping, CBA's chief trader.

 Parker Global Strategies, the global asset management firm that tracks the performance of managed currency funds, has appointed Jeffrey Barr as chief financial officer. Prior to joining Parker, Barr spent the past six years at NatWest Global Financial Markets, where he was a vice president.