Standard Chartered Private Bank has hired Margot Sutton as a senior director on its Africa team, a key market for the bank, WealthBriefing can exclusively reveal.

Sutton joins the bank today from Barclays Wealth, where she was a director, international private banking. In her new role she is based in London, and a member of the team headed by Richard Howarth, market leader for Africa. Her background includes serving high net worth clients based in East Africa.

The Africa team is a growing area of focus for Standard Chartered, which although listed in London has a large presence in emerging markets. Howarth was an important hire for the bank back in December 2009, also coming from Barclays Wealth. As part of his responsibilities on joining SCPB, he was tasked with developing and expanding the African private client segment.

StanChart is not the only bank eyeing the African market, as the continent is viewed as having huge long-term growth potential. Barclays Wealth has also been keenly building a private clients team focused on the region, and Société Générale recently expressed its intention of increasing its foothold there.