People and Business: Barclays' yanks

AND SO another American flies in to help rebuild the fortunes of Barclays Bank.

Robert Hunter, a native of New Jersey, is joining Barclays as managing director of its wealth management business, after three years at the helm of Standard & Poor's financial information services.

Mr Hunter, who previously spent 28 years with Chase Manhattan, will be joining in May.

He is well known to Barclays's new chief executive, fellow American Mike O'Neill, who himself arrives to assume command of the banking group on Monday week.

What with Bob Diamond running the bank's investment banking arm, Barclays Capital, the post-Martin Taylor Barclays is turning into something of an American club.

I wonder what the bank's Quaker founders from the English Midlands - the Cobbolds, Gurneys, Goslings and Buxtons - would have made of it all.

Mr Hunter succeeds Steve Furness, who is leaving Barclays after 27 years with the bank.

Still only 49, Mr Furness is looking for a larger job, possibly in financial services.