Latin American investment bank BTG Pactual has hired William Royan to set up an equities business within the bank's international asset management arm in London.

Latin American investment bank BTG Pactual has hired William Royan to set up an equities business within the bank's international asset management arm in London.

Royan was previously the head of the relationship investment team at the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.

The equities business will support the private banking unit, where BTG wants to use Switzerland's BSI to target entrepreneurial wealth in emerging markets with an offering that includes investment advice as well as investment banking services.

Meanwhile the firm told the Financial Times over the weekend that it also plans to set up a London operation for the private bank as it seeks to tap into the continued influx of international wealth into the UK’s capital. It is also interested in snapping up further wealth management portfolios and teams.

In July this year BTG Pactual bought wealth management firm BSI from Italian insurer Generali for SFr1.5 billion ($1.68 billion). The transaction is expected to be completed by the first half of 2015 and is subject to regulatory approval.