Exclusive: Barclays Exodus Continues

The purge of Barclays' top management under its new chief executive has continued with the departure of the bank's group human resources director.

I understand that Sally Bott, the first woman to join Barclays' executive committee when she was hired last year, left last week.

Her exit, which is likely to have been accompanied by a substantial payoff in line with her contract, is the latest in a string of changes engineered by Antony Jenkins, Barclays' new chief executive.

Installed in August following the Libor scandal-inspired ousting of Bob Diamond, Mr Jenkins has moved quickly to reshuffle his executive team amid investor anxiety about the bank's strategy.

Ms Bott had, however, been named as a member of Mr Jenkins' key lieutenants just a few weeks ago.

Lured by Mr Diamond from a lucrative job at BP, the oil company, Ms Bott had been charged with overseeing a recruitment drive aimed at expanding Barclays' investment banking arm.

"She was very much Bob's person," a Barclays insider said.

A Barclays spokesman confirmed Ms Bott's resignation but declined to comment on any payoff.

Since the bank was fined nearly £300m by regulators for rigging Libor interest rates in June, Barclays has paid hefty severance packages to both Mr Diamond and Jerry del Missier, the former chief operating officer.