EFG Bank in Hong Kong has lost a team head to Barclays, as the war for talent continues.

The wealth management and investment division of Barclays has hired a senior managing director to service ultra-high net worth individuals in Hong Kong, as it continues its bid to "invert the banker pyramid".

Adeline Chien reports to Rickie Chan, market head of Hong Kong at Barclays.

She joined from EFG Bank in Hong Kong, where she was team head, responsible for serving high net worth clients in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan. She worked there for two years, prior to which she was at UBS. She has 20 years experience, having also worked for Goldman Sachs, serving ultra-high net worth clients. She joined the UK bank in August.

Her appointment follows from the appointment of Chan who was appointed market head of Hong Kong in August. Under the leadership of Pakorn Boonya-kurkul who joined as head of wealth management, North Asia, last May, the UK bank has been trying to hire bankers with at least 15 years experience - what Boonya-kurkul calls "inverting the banker pyramid."

Boona-kurkul said, “Markets continue to be challenging and having a strong team of senior bankers is critical to helping clients navigate these times of volatility. We have seen significant traction in our strategy in Hong Kong as we focus on the hiring of senior bankers with more than 15 years of industry experience."

He said this group of bankers has been attracted by both the platform we offer as well as an entrepreneurial culture. Barclays has grown its North Asia banker teams considerably, with more than half of its bankers now at a senior level.

These recent senior appointments follow on from the opening of Barclays' second Asian booking centre in Hong Kong in 2010. Barclays also set up a Greater China desk in Singapore in October last year, to offer clients across the sub-region the option of booking their assets in Singapore.