Salomon hires two execs for tech banking team

Salomon Smith Barney Asia Pacific has appointed two new executives to its 10-person technology investment banking group.

Simon Parker, 33, formerly director of equity capital markets at SG Securities, was appointed director of the technology banking group. He will be based in Hong Kong and focus on semiconductors and hardware. Anh Lu, 32, formerly business development director at San Francisco-based telephony services and technology company Firetalk Communications, will be a vice president in the group and will also be based in Hong Kong. She will focus on software, information technology, B2B exchanges and online media.

"We see enough activity in this area that it warrants a sub-sector," says Richard Seow, who heads up the group. Both newcomers will report to Seow. "Right now we're looking to expand the group to about 15 people."

At SG Securities Parker was responsible for the management and execution of Asian equity transactions. Before that, he worked at Credit Lyonnais Securities and Nomura Securities, where he helped companies raise debt and equity. He has a degree in Law from Liverpool University and qualified as a UK solicitor. Before joining Firetalk, Lu worked at Microsoft and LGT Asset Management, where she managed $2.5 billion for institutional and retail clients. She holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario, Canada.