• Creates Global Credit Markets Americas, integrating the credit market activities of Global Markets Americas and Global Banking Americas under a single management structure
  • Organizes origination activities into High Grade Finance, Asset Finance & Securitization and Leveraged Finance
  • Hires Christopher Blum as Head of Leveraged Finance for North America

NEW YORK, July 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BNP Paribas, as part of its CIB 2020 development plan, is committed to strengthening and enhancing its credit activities in the Americas as well as expanding and deepening its corporate, institutional and sponsor client base.

In order to streamline the organization to support this growth plan, BNP Paribas has created a new unit called Global Credit Markets Americas bridging the existing credit units of Global Markets Americas and Global Banking Americas. This new unit integrates all primary origination, financing & syndication and secondary sales, trading & research activities across credit products into one platform.

The platform will be headed by Matthew Salvner, with Dan Cozine becoming Deputy Head focused on primary markets activities.

Origination within Global Credit Markets Americas will be reorganized into three areas:

  • High Grade Finance will include the Bond and Loan Origination & Structuring teams covering Corporate Investment Grade, Financial Institution and Latin American clients.
  • Asset Finance & Securitization brings together ABS, RMBS & CLO Securitization with the Asset Finance teams covering Power, Infrastructure & Project Finance, Export Finance, Transportation Finance, Metals & Mining Structured Debt, and Asset Based Lending into one platform encompassing all structured debt products.
  • Leveraged Finance will include all leveraged loan and high yield bond activities with both corporate and sponsor clients.

The development of the bank’s presence in leveraged finance and high yield is part of the development plan, and the bank is pleased to announce the appointment of Christopher Blum as Head of Leveraged Finance for North America. In this role, Chris will oversee the growth of all leveraged finance and high yield origination with all sponsor and corporate clients. Chris brings to this role close to 20 years of experience in leveraged finance and high yield, most recently as Co-Head of Leveraged Debt Capital Markets at Deutsche Bank.

Bob Hawley, CEO of CIB Americas, stated: “As part of our regional goals for the Group’s 2020 plan, CIB Americas plans to expand our credit market activities, which include strengthening our origination platform, and as part of that enhancing our Leveraged Finance franchise. This combined origination platform will help us expand domestically in addition to helping us further grow our transatlantic capabilities, where the bank holds leading positions, and continue to support diverse European issuers in the Americas markets and vice versa.”

About BNP Paribas in the USA BNP Paribas has built a strong and diversified presence in the United States to support its client base. The bank employs over 16,000 people and has had a presence in the USA since the late 1800s. Bank of the West and First Hawaiian Bank (together BancWest, part of Retail Banking & Services) serve nearly 3.5 million individual, wealth and SME clients through a branch network of more than 650 branches and business centers. Large corporate and institutional clients are serviced by BNP Paribas’ Corporate & Institutional Banking franchise that has a presence in the main US cities, in addition to a global reach through a network of offices in EMEA and APAC. The bank also offers asset management services through BNP Paribas Investment Partners (part of Retail Banking & Services) as well as Real Estate and Fleet Services through partnerships. www.usa.bnpparibas

About BNP Paribas Group BNP Paribas is a leading bank in Europe with an international reach. It has a presence in 73 countries, with more than 196,000 employees, including around 149,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main activities: Domestic Markets and International Financial Services (whose retail-banking networks and financial services are covered by Retail Banking & Services) and Corporate & Institutional Banking, which serves two client franchises: corporate clients and institutional investors. The Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realize their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the European leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail-banking model in Mediterranean countries, in Turkey, in Eastern Europe and a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Institutional Banking and International Financial Services activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific. www.group.bnpparibas

Press Contacts Mylene Benmoussa +1 646 322 5221 mylene.benmoussa@us.bnpparibas.com

Guy Taylor +1 917 767 1593 guild.taylor@us.bnpparibas.com

Follow us on Twitter: @BNPPamericas