Standard Chartered senior executive Shankar is stepping down in the latest leadership shake-up

By Steve Slater LONDON (Reuters) – Asia-focused bank Standard Chartered Plc said senior executive Viswanathan Shankar had left and announced a series of leadership changes in another reshuffle as it tries to turn around its fortunes. Shankar has resigned as CEO of Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Americas and will now consider setting up a private equity firm, Standard Chartered said on Wednesday. The 57-year-old, who was one of four members of the management board, will step down at the end of April after 13 years of working at the bank. Standard Chartered also said Jonathan Paul will become head of financial markets and Sumit Dayal will become head of corporate finance, both based in Singapore. Mark Dowie, who has led corporate finance since 2011 and served for a year as head of financial markets, will take up the position of vice president for clients and products upon his return to London. Paul has 25 years of experience at financial firms including Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs. In 2008, he founded the hedge fund Ardmore Park Capital and recently also advised asset management companies. Dayal has been with Standard Chartered for 11 years, including as head of leveraged finance and capital markets. The new appointments are the latest in a string of changes at Standard Chartered after two years of falling profits raised concerns that something had gone wrong. Former JPMorgan investment bank chief Bill Winters will take over as CEO in June, replacing Peter Sands, after investors called for change. Chairman John Peace will leave next year. Last year, three senior managers left the bank, and in February the bank said that Jaspal Bindra, CEO of the Asia division, and three long-serving executives would step down. London-listed Standard Chartered shares were up 0.4 percent at 09:10 GMT. (Editing by Nishant Kumar and Pravin Char)