Nomura has named Italian rainmaker Piero Novelli, who joined just two months ago to lead the Japanese bank's push in mergers and acquisitions, and Benoit Savoret, installed three weeks ago as joint head of equities, among 13 new senior managing directors.

The 13 new appointments, who will assume the title on April 1, brings the number of senior managing directors across Nomura's group businesses to 105, the bank said in a statement today. The senior managing director role was introduced in 2008 after the integration of parts of collapsed US bank Lehman Brothers.