Thorn Group has made two senior appointments: Peter Ryan, formerly a partner at DibbsBarker Lawyers, has been appointed general counsel and company secretary; and Wendy Yip, who had a senior risk advisor role at Deloitte, has been appointed chief risk officer. Ryan was head of DibbsBarker's credit law team. Yip has worked risk and capital management at a number of financial institutions and advisory groups, including ING Direct, Commonwealth Bank and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Macquarie Group yesterday closed the bookbuild to brokers and institutional investors for Macquarie Group Capital Notes 2. It was expected to raise A$400 million, "with the ability to raise more", when announced to the ASX on 23 November. It has attracted $500 million, and Patrick Upfold, Macquarie CFO, said the margin was set at 5.15 per cent per annum, at the bottom of the expected range. The offer to existing holders of shares and notes in Macquarie Group will open on 1 December 2015 and close on 15 December 2015. The People's Bank of China has approved the launch of a Free Trade Unit in the Shanghai branch of ANZ China. According to an ANZ announcement, this approval will allow the bank's Shanghai Free Trade Zone sub-branch to "better facilitate capital account transactions for ANZ corporate customers and interbank branches" within the zone, as well as for ANZ's offshore corporate customers. All SFTZ business will be partially separated from the onshore financial system. The Clean Energy Finance Corporation said it was "aiming to accelerate investment in Australia's bioenergy sector" through a A$100 million cornerstone commitment to a new equity fund for bioenergy and energy-from-waste. The $200 million Australian Bioenergy Fund, to be managed by the Foresight Group, will support investment in a broad range of projects ranging from $2 million to $100 million. The ASX and the Perth Mint have signed an agreement to develop new precious metals derivatives products to be quoted and traded on ASX, distributed to customers around the world via what has evolved into a 24-hour, globally connected network. The aim is to provide precious metals market participants and investors with what the ASX promises will be "a transparent and relevant forward price curve, enabling them to more effectively hedge their exposures." The Perth Mint will provide physical precious metals and secure storage facilities. The first product is expected to be launched in the second half of 2016.