BNP Paribas appointed Florence Pourchet head of CIB Latin America. In this new role, Pourchet will drive BNP Paribas’ Latin America strategy, as well as provide oversight and support to the various countries in the region where the bank has a presence.
“It is my privilege to assume this role for the bank at this important time,” Pourchet said. “Latin America is an essential part of the Americas strategy, and I look forward to working with each market and business line to develop solutions and opportunities for our clients both locally in the region and beyond.”
Pourchet has been with the bank since 1990, having held a variety of banking and credit roles across France, Germany and the U.S. She was appointed head of CIB Hispanic Latam in 2019, in addition to head of credit and portfolio management and head of CSR for the Americas. Pourchet will retain her responsibilities as head of CSR for the Americas, advising Herve Duteil, chief sustainability officer of BNP Paribas Americas, as the bank continues to build out its position in sustainable finance.
Ricardo Guimaraes, who became head of Brazil and CEO of Banco BNP Paribas Brasil as of March 1, will now report to Pourchet. Guimaraes will remain a member of the CIB Americas executive committee.
The country heads for Colombia and the Caribbean Region (Jorge Valderrama), the Southern Cone (Tullio Lanari) and Mexico (Francisco Hernandez), as well as Latam advisory and Hispanic Latam coverage (Walter Ringwald) also will report to Pourchet.
BNP Paribas offers insurance, leasing, asset management, wealth management and personal finance services in addition to corporate and institutional banking in Latin America. The group employs close to 4,000 employees across six countries.
BNP Paribas also announced this week that its securities services business began operations in Mexico, taking the total number of markets it serves to 36.
“BNP Paribas has been present in Latin America for over a century, starting in 1914 in Argentina, and recognizes the region as a critical growth market,” Bob Hawley, CEO of BNP Paribas CIB Americas, said. “Many of our large institutional and corporate clients are looking for a range of banking products and services delivered through an integrated and regional provider. Florence will play a key role in aligning and developing our strategy to address these needs.”
