G.H. Financials chief executive Sharon Shi is leaving the London-based broker after 18 months running the firm to join a Chinese investment bank.

Shi, who became chief executive of G.H. Financials in November 2022, is leaving next month when the company’s new chair Jerome Kemp will become interim CEO until a replacement is found.

A spokesman for G.H. Financials confirmed Shi is leaving in May and chairman Kemp will fill in as acting CEO until a new leader is appointed.

Kemp, the former head of futures at J.P. Morgan and Citigroup, became chairman of G.H. Financials on March 31, according to the Financial Conduct Authority register, just five weeks after his appointment was announced by the firm.

The chief executive wrote on LinkedIn: “It was an extremely difficult decision to resign from my position, having devoted 17 years to GHF and Hertshten Group previously.”

Shi joined Futures First, the trading company owned by Hertshten Group which also owns G.H. Financials, in 2007 to run operations before being promoted to deputy managing director in 2009.

Shi transferred to GHF in 2012 as that firm’s Hong Kong-based managing director before moving to London in 2022 as group chief executive.

Shi wrote on LinkedIn: “I will be joining a leading Chinese investment bank who is ambitious to start the global derivatives clearing business.”

She added: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the owner of GHF, Mr Gedon Hertshten, the GHF Board of Directors, all colleagues and friends, all valued customers who have been so supportive to me during my tenure.”

Shi was promoted to chief executive of GHF after its former CEO Mark Phelps left the firm in February 2022 to become European head of G. H. Financials rival RJ O’Brien.

Kemp became GHF chairman after the departure last month of former chair Mark Ibbotson who left the London-based futures clearer to “pursue another opportunity in the market”, according to a statement by the firm.

The chairman spent 17 years at J.P. Morgan where he was latterly the US investment bank’s global co-head of futures and options, and over-the-counter clearing before joining Citigroup in 2011 as that bank’s global head of derivatives.

Kemp left Citigroup in 2020 and became in September 2021 the president of Baton Systems, a role he left in September last year.