Barclays puts two insiders in top roles as seeks to grow profit

By Lawrence White

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Barclays (BARC.L) has promoted insiders to two of its most senior banking roles as it looks to boost its profit.

Barclays appointed Steven Penketh as chief operating officer for Barclays International, the unit that houses its investment bank and private banking businesses, a spokesman for the bank said, confirming what a source had told Reuters on Friday.

The British lender has also appointed Steve Ewart as chief financial officer for Barclays Bank Plc, the new legal entity which houses Barclays International following the lender's split into Barclays International and Barclays UK.

The appointments are the latest in a series under Tim Throsby, the Australian former JPMorgan banker appointed by Chief Executive Jes Staley in September 2016 to improve performance at Barclays' investment banking division.

Penketh, who was appointed to his new post in April, joined Barclays in 2004 and most recently headed the bank's project to separate its UK business from its International unit to comply with British rules designed to safeguard British savers.

Ewart also joined the bank in 2004 and was appointed to his new role in June, pending regulatory approval.

(Reporting by Lawrence White; Editing by Edmund Blair and Alexander Smith)