RiskBarclays Overhaul to Include 3,700 Job Losses

Barclays Overhaul to Include 3,700 Job Losses

Barclays has unveiled its long-anticipated restructure under new chief executive Antony Jenkins, which will see the UK bank focus on its operations in the UK, US and Africa, but do no more than maintain an “appropriate presence” in continental Europe and Asia to support its global investment banking activities.

The bank, which has around 140,000 employees, will cut 1,800 positions in its corporate and investment banking division based in the UK and a further 1,900 retail and business banking jobs in continental Europe during 2013. Although details were not given on where the European cuts would fall, the Financial Times speculated that the bank’s operations in France, Italy, Portugal and Spain were likely to be affected.

The job cuts are part of the bank’s goal to reduce its cost base by £1.7bn to £16.8bn in 2015, by which time it aims for its return on equity (RoE) to exceed its cost of equity, which it expects to maintain at 11.5%.

Jenkins, who took over the role of CEO after the departure last July of
Bob Diamond
said that 2012 had been “a difficult year” for Barclays and the banking industry generally following the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) manipulation scandal.

“The behaviours which made headlines during the year stemmed from a period of 20 years in banking in which the sector became too aggressive, too focused on the short-term, and too disconnected from the needs of customers and clients, and wider society,” he said.

“Barclays was not immune from the impact of these trends, and we suffered reputational damage in 2012 as a consequence.”

Barclays also confirmed recent reports that the controversial tax planning part of its structured capital markets (SCM) division, which has proved highly lucrative for the bank but also triggered accusations of orchestrating tax avoidance on an “industrial scale” from members of parliament (MPs), will be shut down. Any corporate treasurers looking to Barclays to assist them in tax optimisation schemes will have to look elsewhere in future.

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Whitepapers & Resources

2021 Transaction Banking Services Survey
Banking

2021 Transaction Banking Services Survey

2y
CGI Transaction Banking Survey 2020

CGI Transaction Banking Survey 2020

4y
TIS Sanction Screening Survey Report
Payments

TIS Sanction Screening Survey Report

5y
Enhancing your strategic position: Digitalization in Treasury
Payments

Enhancing your strategic position: Digitalization in Treasury

5y
Netting: An Immersive Guide to Global Reconciliation

Netting: An Immersive Guide to Global Reconciliation

5y