RBC hires two for European mining investment banking team

LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is beefing up its European mining investment banking team with the appointment of two senior bankers to be based in London, the bank said on Wednesday. Rob Edwards, former chairman of metals and mining investment banking at Renaissance Capital, and Rob Bailey, who most recently worked at Japanese bank Nomura, will join a team of over 40 investment bankers globally at RBC's investment arm RBC Capital Markets dedicated to the mining sector. Edwards will focus on mining clients in Africa and the CIS while Bailey will cover large mining companies listed in London. They will both report to Richard Horrocks-Taylor, head of mining and metals investment banking in Europe. RBC is corporate broker to 12 companies in the mining sector in Europe, having most recently won a mandate from Polymetal International. Corporate brokers - a role banks play in Britain but few other countries - are companies' eyes and ears in the market. Banks clamor for the role, which can pay off in fees for knock-on roles advising on share sales or other deals. (Reporting by Anjuli Davies; Editing by David Holmes)