ECM Libra Investment Bank (ECMIB) starts operations today, marking another milestone for a financial group that began as a boutique financial services provider with 10 professionals in 2002.

Coming under the ECM Libra Financial Group, ECMIB is represented throughout Malaysia, offering a wide range of financial service. It is now one of the 13 investment banks operating in Malaysia.

ECM Libra was listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia about two years after its formation and in June 2006, merged with Avenue Capital Resources to form ECM Libra Avenue.

Last week, and following a reorganisation exercise, its holding company changed its name to ECM Libra Financial Group Bhd last week.

ECMIB offers a complete array of services, from origination, distribution, customised enterprise solutions, innovative equity-linked pro-ducts, M&A advisory services and prime brokerage services.

"We view ourselves as strategic partners for our clients, dedicated to helping them achieve their financial goals," the bank said in a statement yesterday.

The investment bank will be helmed by Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan and Lim Kian Onn, both seasoned deal makers and also the founding members of the financial group.

They will be aided by a talented team of T. Jeyaratnam, Franklin Tan, Shahin Jammal and Stephen Weller.

A chartered accountant, Jeyaratnam among others served as deputy chief executive officer of Aseambankers and was a former chief executive of Alliance Merchant Bank.

Tan has vast experience in equity capital markets and investment advisory services and was once with Arab Malaysian Securities Research and subsequently, the country manager/head of equity research for OCBC Securities Research (Singapore).

Weller has wide working experience in the European and Asian equity market business with a number of leading global investment banks including UBS, Jardine Fleming (now part of JP Morgan) and Citigroup Global Markets.

Shahin meanwhile has extensive experience in debt capital markets and more than 10 years of work experience in project and structured finance, covering transactions in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Korea and Japan with global institutions including Macquarie Bank and Citi-group.