Merrill Lynch today announced the appointment of Ronald Lloyd as president and COO of Merrill Lynch Canada Inc., replacing Sue Dabarno. In addition to his new responsibilities, Lloyd will continue to head the firm’s investment banking practice.

The other senior managers of Merrill Lynch’s Global Markets and Investment Banking operations in Canada are Lynn Patterson, head of Debt, and Gerry Throop, head of Equities. The executive management team will also include Keith Pearson, CFO/CAO, Marcelo Cosma, chief legal counsel, and Guy Savard, head of Quebec operations.

The team will lead the company’s focus on corporate and institutional clients in Canada. The core activities include investment banking, equity and debt sales and trading, and research. “Merrill Lynch understands that if Canadian business is to compete and succeed, it must have access to global investment banks that not only understand Canada, but also the rest of the world,” Lloyd said.

After selling off its retail brokerage and asset management operations to CIBC late last year, Merrill now has 400 employees in four offices across Canada providing investment banking, equity and debt sales and trading, and economic and industry research analysis.

“No other global investment bank has such deep Canadian roots combined with global experience and perspective as Merrill Lynch,” Lloyd said. “We look forward to growing our institutional businesses in Canada, building upon the foundation of excellence that already exists here.”