Banus is well known in the derivatives market, having been head of listed products, prime services, Asia at Barclays Capital. He left that job in February.

SGX said Banus would advise it on its efforts to “tap the rising global interest in Asian commodities”. He will be responsible for building and maintaining client access to Asia and managing relationships with Asian exchanges and regulators.

Banus moved from London to Singapore to head Barclays' Asian futures division in spring 2004. In London he had been responsible for futures sales and marketing.