Barclays Wealth plans to hire up to 200 high-end investment representatives over the next four years in a move to expand its new wealth management foothold in the Americas, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Following the collapse of Lehman Brothers into bankruptcy, Barclays acquired Lehman's private investment management unit to gain a presence in the US market.

Since then, the UK bank has recruited roughly 50 representatives, the firm's name for financial advisors, the newspaper said.

The financial turmoil has generated mixed fortunes for wealth managers; a number of firms, including Barclays Wealth, have shed staff, while others, such as Standard Chartered, have announced aggressive hiring plans.