Breakingviews: Barclays' new CEO will need to work doubly hard

The chief executive of Barclays global retail banking, Antony Jenkins, is seen in this undated handout photograph released in London August 30, 2012.

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own)

By George Hay

LONDON Aug 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Antony Jenkins needs to roll up his sleeves. Barclays' new chief executive has many of the qualities the UK bank needs following the controversial tenure of Bob Diamond. But Jenkins will need to over-deliver for investors to forget two key drawbacks.

Jenkins ticks a reassuring array of boxes. Since 2009 he has run Barclays' global retail operations. Given that the bank has been involved in mis-selling scandals surrounding payment protection insurance and interest rate swaps, this is not an unconditional thumbs-up. But it means Barclays' public face now has a background in the more accessible business of selling mortgages and current accounts, not high-octane investment banking. And he is British, appropriate in an era when banks are retreating to their core markets.

But Jenkins' CV also presents two problems. First, he has limited investment banking experience. Since Diamond masterminded the rise of Barclays Capital in the late 1990s, the investment bank's traders and salespeople have had a very vocal champion at or near the top of the group. With Jenkins at the helm, Barclays' commitment to the business may be called into question. Given that BarCap contributed 54 percent of group pre-tax profit in the first half of 2012 that's an issue, albeit one partially offset by the fact that David Walker, Barclays' new chairman, has more investment banking experience.

Jenkins' other problem is that he is an insider: he has been on Barclays' executive committee since 2009. Granted, his elevation came after the wrongdoing related to the bank's biggest recent scandals: a 290 million pound fine for rigging interest rates, and a regulatory probe into payments connected with its Qatari capital raising in 2008 that is now attracting scrutiny from the UK's Serious Fraud Office. But a genuine outsider would find it easier to rise above the continuing fallout.

Jenkins therefore needs to quickly set out his stall. A review of all Barclays' business units, where each will have to show that returns exceed cost of equity and justify staff pay, is a good first step. But he will have to carefully balance the need for a retrenchment of BarCap without sparking an exodus. Meanwhile, Jenkins will have to not only comply with lawyer Anthony Salz's review into Barclays' culture, but champion its recommendations. Tough battles lie ahead.

CONTEXT NEWS

- Barclays on August 30 appointed Antony Jenkins as its new chief executive, replacing Bob Diamond.

- Jenkins, previously head of Barclays' global retail and business banking operations, has been on the bank's group executive committee since 2009. He starts his new role with immediate effect.

- Jenkins said that Barclays was a strong universal bank but added that it had made serious mistakes in recent years, and clearly failed to keep pace with the expectations of its shareholders.

- Jenkins will receive an annual salary of 1.1 million pounds, with potential for an annual bonus of 250 percent of his salary and a long-term incentive plan with a maximum market value in any one year of up to 400 percent of salary.

- Separately, Barclays announced on August 29 that the Serious Fraud Office had commenced an investigation into payments under certain commercial agreements between Barclays and Qatar Holding.

- The Financial Services Authority announced in July it was investigating four current and former executives at Barclays on the same matter. The SFO probe relates to Barclays as a whole rather than individuals, according to a person familiar with the situation.

- Barclays statement August 30: here

- Reuters: Barclays appoints retail boss Jenkins as CEO

- Bob Diamond e-book: r.reuters.com/nyf59s

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(Editing by Peter Thal Larsen and David Evans)