Former Goldman Sachs veteran Naohiko Baba has joined Barclays Securities Japan as its managing director, chief Japan economist and head of Japan Research.

The announcement comes two months after Baba departed Goldman following 12 years of service at the firm as its chief Japan economist.

In a similar role at Barclays, Baba will lead the bank’s macroeconomic research for Japan at a time when the company is increasing its focus on economic research capabilities both locally and globally.

Prior to his decade-plus stint at Goldman, Baba worked at the Bank of Japan (BOJ), where he led various divisions including the Financial System Research Division and the Money Markets and Fixed Income Division. He was also a senior economist of global financial markets at the Bank for International Settlement (BIS) in Switzerland.

Baba reports to Christian Keller, head of economics research, who said: “This appointment underpins our commitment to attract and invest in the best talent. We are confident that our clients locally and globally will benefit from his deep knowledge and expertise of the Japanese economy.”

In a statement announcing the appointment, Barclays pointed towards a “long-awaited shift in the Japanese economy” which is expected to have significant implications for its strategy. The Bank of Japan is potentially set to make a departure from its unorthodox monetary easing policy which has historically put the country at odds with other economies.

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