Goldman Hires New Head of Asia Mining Team

Goldman Sachs

has tapped Johan van Jaarsveld from Blackstone Group

to head a newly created team advising mining and metals companies in Asia outside Japan, according to a report in the

. Mergers among metals and mining companies in the Asia-Pacific region reached a record at $98 billion last year. Goldman joins Credit Suisse

and Nomura Holdings

among companies bulking up teams of natural resources bankers in the past two years as demand for raw materials in China and India surged. Jaarsveld joined Blackstone as a managing director at its advisory unit in 2008, and he was former Lehman Brothers banker. Jaarsveld starts with Goldman this week and will be based in Hong Kong.