Barclays appoints Alex Ham as Global Chairman of Investment Banking
24 JUL, 2025
By Jose Luis Palmer from RankiaPro Europe
Barclays has announced the appointment of Alex Ham as Global Chairman of Investment Banking. He will be based in London and is set to join the bank in early 2026.
Ham brings two decades of investment banking experience to Barclays, most recently serving as Co-CEO of Deutsche Numis and Head of Global Private Growth Capital at Deutsche Bank. In that role, he focused on building connections between European high-growth company founders and the global venture capital, private equity, and public markets.
Focus on growth capital and founder-led businesses
In his new position, Ham is expected to enhance Barclays’ coverage of high-growth and founder-led companies, particularly in the technology sector. His experience developing relationships with venture capital and private equity firms is seen as key to expanding the bank’s advisory role in growth capital transactions.
According to Cathal Deasy and Taylor Wright, Global Co-Heads of Investment Banking at Barclays, Ham’s appointment aligns with the bank’s goal to grow market share in equity capital markets and mergers and acquisitions. They also noted his potential to deepen the bank’s engagement with the entrepreneurial and investor communities globally.
We are excited Alex is joining Barclays and are confident he will bring to our Investment Banking franchise a unique combination of connectivity across the global growth and private capital ecosystems, with a proven track record as a trusted adviser to founder-led, high-growth companies.
Cathal Deasy, Global Co-Head of Investment Banking at Barclays
Alex will help us grow mindshare with venture capitalists and growth private equity investors, and deepen engagement with clients. This will further enhance the momentum in these franchises, while also contributing to our strategic objectives of growing market share in ECM and M&A.
Taylor Wright, Global Co-Head of Investment Banking at Barclays
Expansion of UK and European franchises
Ham’s arrival is expected to reinforce Barclays’ UK and European franchises across various sectors. The bank views his track record and client relationships as instrumental in furthering its ambition to support innovative companies driving disruption in their industries.
