Macquarie Group's head of investment banking in Asia, Kalpana Desai, is leaving after three years with the Australian company amid a widening exodus of dealmakers from the industry.
Desai, 45, will retire as head of Macquarie Capital Asia effective in April to spend time with her family. A spokeswoman for the Sydney-based bank declined to comment.
Senior banking executives including Gaby Abdelnour of JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs Group's Yusuf Alireza have left investment banking in the past year as deals dried up and compensation fell.
Macquarie, Australia's largest investment bank, said in July that its securities unit would probably post a second straight annual loss as Europe's debt contagion dented appetite for trading and share sales.
"With the changes taking place in the investment banking model, senior bankers are now asking the question: What is next for me in these changing times?" said David Webbe, a senior client partner at Korn/Ferry International, a global executive search firm.
Macquarie CEO Nicholas Moore in July described the securities market as "very, very tough" and said he didn't expect the European crisis to improve soon.
Alex Harvey, who was made CEO of Macquarie's Asian operations in January, will assume Desai's role.