Zhang Liping helped establish Merrill Lynch's mainland presence in 1990s
Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) yesterday announced the appointment of former Merrill Lynch banker Zhang Liping as its country head for China.
Mr Zhang replaces Wei Christianson, CSFB's former China chairwoman, who left her post at the end of last month for 'personal reasons'.
Her resignation, which became public in July, was one of several by senior CSFB bankers within days of the departure of the bank's co-chief executive John Mack.
Mr Zhang, 45, will assume overall responsibility for CSFB's investment banking activities in China and will report to Eric Varvel, head of investment banking for Asia-Pacific ex-Japan.
'This new hire reflects CSFB's continuing focus on the China market, and ensures that we have the resources in place to offer the best possible service to our clients,' CSFB Asia-Pacific chairman Paul Calello said in a statement yesterday.
In the 1990s, Mr Zhang helped build and run Merrill Lynch's China investment banking franchise, leaving in 1996 as its China chief representative to join Seapower International, a Hong Kong-listed investment holding company.
