Sky's City Editor Mark Kleinman has reported that Jes Staley, the current Chairman of JPMorgan's investment banking unit (and previously CEO), was interviewed 'several times' to succeed Bob Diamond as CEO.
Kleinman reports that Barclays directors had even flown to New York to interview Staley, and that some board members were keen for him to be appointed. It is claimed that board members had even got into discussing the timing of an announcement.
A problem is said to have come, however, with the UK Treasury, who, according to Sky's sources, 'alerted (the bank) to the 'reputational implications' of appointing an American investment banker as its new Chief Executive, and of needing to compensate a rival bank's employee for the loss of any share options prompted by their defection'.
A Barclays insider told Sky that 'there was an open discussion about it. Of course the question of having an investment banker running the bank again was an issue, but appointing Antony was a unanimous board decision'.
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