Maybank has merged two senior banking roles in an effort to tie its transaction banking and treasury services closer together.

Last month Md Farid Kairi assumed the role of head of transaction banking for the bank, while still operating as its deputy head of global markets, CT has learnt.

John Wong, the previous head of transaction banking, has taken on a strategic role focused on assessing how the bank can compete effectively in international markets, a banking source at Maybank told CT.

Combining the two roles will prove challenging for Kairi, but the bank is keen to ensure the global markets division, which looks after pure treasury-related issues, works far more closely with the transaction banking equivalent to serve their corporate clients.

“We want there to be greater collaboration between the two,” the banking source said.