Mark Howard, Head of U.S. Credit Strategy for BNP Paribas, was the subject of the “Q&A” interview in the June 29 issue of Bloomberg Brief’s weekly Leveraged Capital newsletter for the leveraged loan and junk bond market.
Among a variety of topics, Mark discussed how M&A activity will continue to drive activity in the high-yield market and presented his view on when the Federal Reserve most likely will begin to raise interest rates.
To read Mark’s interview in full, visit the Leveraged Capital website.
For the 6th consecutive year, BNP Paribas has partnered with the Economic Forum of the Americas as a major partner.
The Conference of Montreal is committed to heightening knowledge and awareness of the major issues concerning economic globalization, with a particular emphasis on the relations between the Americas and other continents.
The Conference also strives to foster exchanges of information, to promote free discussion on major current economic issues and facilitate meetings between world leaders to encourage international discourse by bringing together Heads of State, the private sector, international organizations and civil society.
According to Sauveur Menella, Head of Brand & Communications at BNP Paribas Canada, “As the Bank for a changing world, we believe that is very important to be present in events like this, and also to give our clients the opportunity to attend, according to their interests.”
This year, the conference focused on “Building a balanced economy.”
Visit the conference’s website here.
Catherine Flax, Head of Commodity Derivatives and FXLM Americas, is profiled in the May 2015 issue of Energy Risk.
“We are quite convinced that there is a real opportunity in power – as with oil and gas – and that our clients need us to be as present and committed.” – Catherine Flax
In this featured piece, Catherine Flax tells Energy Risk about her overall career journey and the challenges in the current industry environment. She also discusses her role in Commodity Derivatives and how BNP Paribas is particularly well-positioned at a time of heightened regulatory scrutiny.
Read the full article here.
.
Follow us on Twitter : @BNPPamericas
Press Contact:
Sally Lyden
+1 212 471 6419
sally.lyden@us.bnpparibas.com
The Board of Directors of BNP Paribas today appointed Jean Lemierre as Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors.
He succeeds Baudouin Prot, who informed the Board of Directors on 26 September of his decision to step down as Chairman and Director from the 1st December 2014.
With the other members of the Board, Jean Lemierre will oversee the implementation of the Group’s business development plan as well as the reinforcement of its governance and of its internal control measures put in place in recent months.
Since September 2008, Jean Lemierre has acted as advisor to BNP Paribas and as its international representative with regulators as well as economic and political leaders.
Before joining BNP Paribas, he carried out two mandates as President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (2000-2008). In addition, he served as Head of the French Treasury (1995-2000).
About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas has a presence in 75 countries with more than 180,000 employees, including 140,000 in Europe. It ranks highly in its three core activities: Retail Banking, Investment Solutions and Corporate & Investment Banking. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail banking model across Mediterranean basin countries, in Turkey, in Eastern Europe and a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Investment Banking and Investment Solutions activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas and solid and fast-growing businesses in Asia-Pacific.
Press contact:
Cesaltine Gregorio +1.212.841.3719 cesaltine.gregorio@us.bnpparibas.com
Follow us on Twitter: @BNPPamericas
Following the announcement of BNP Paribas’ third quarter results 2014, the Bank hosted Fox Business News “Opening Bell” with Maria Bartiromo, on its Fixed Income trading floor in New York. BNP Paribas is the first bank to have hosted Maria since her debut at Fox Business News.
The show was a great opportunity for Jean-Yves Fillion, BNP Paribas North America’s CEO, to talk about the Group’s third quarter results and emphasize the bank’s commitment to the region.
The show also featured BNP Paribas’ top economists and strategists. Paul Mortimer-Lee, BNP Paribas North America Chief Economist, shared his views on a solid US economy.
Watch the clips from the show:
BNP N. America CEO bullish on economy
BNP Paribas North America CEO Jean-Yves Fillion weighs in on the economy and how clients are benefitting from a low-rate environment.
Source: Fox News
BNP spends half a billion dollars to prevent sanctions violations
BNP Paribas North America CEO Jean-Yves Fillion says the company has put new procedures in place to ensure that the company doesn’t partake in illegal transactions with sanctioned countries.
Source: Fox News
Japan stimulus treat for the markets
BNP Paribas Global Head of Market Economics Paul Mortimer-Lee and Danske Bank Chief Analyst Lars Christensen explain the impact of Bank of Japan’s surprise decision to expand its massive asset-purchase stimulus program.
Source: Fox News
Dow hits all-time high
BNP Head of U.S. Cash Equity Trading Darren Wolfberg, BNP Head of U.S. Credit Strategy Mark Howard, and S&P Capital Chief Equity Strategist Sam Stovall discuss how to allocate capital in today’s market.
Source: Fox News
Natural gas key for U.S. energy?
BNP Paribas Natural Gas Strategist Teri Viswanath says weather will have a major impact on whether gas prices will go higher or lower.
Source: Fox News
Risk on: Are we done with correction?
BNP Head of U.S. Cash Equity Trading Darren Wolfberg and BNP Head of U.S. Credit Strategy Mark Howard discuss how the Bank of Japan’s fresh round of stimulus is contributing to Wall Street’s performance.
Source: Fox News
Can the U.S. markets survive without QE?
Tim Bitsberger of BNP Paribas Official Institute Coverage and Chris Scicluna of Daiwa Capital Markets discuss their outlooks for the U.S. and international markets.
Source: Fox News
What the midterms mean for your money
Tim Bitsberger of BNP Paribas Official Institute Coverage and NewEdge Director of Market Strategy Robbert van Batenburg discuss their outlook for the midterm elections and its impact on the economy.
Source: Fox News
This week, BNP Paribas reached a comprehensive settlement with US authorities related to transactions involving parties subject to US sanctions.
At BNP Paribas, we take our commitment to act as a responsible bank very seriously. We have always sought to maintain high standards of conduct that we failed to meet, in this case. We deeply regret the past misconduct that led to this settlement.
I would like to be very clear: the failures that came to light during the course of this investigation should never have happened at BNP Paribas, and run contrary to the fundamental ethical and business principles on which we seek to operate.
As CEO of BNP Paribas, I can assure you that we have learned the lessons. Individuals involved have been sanctioned or have left the Group. We have significantly strengthened our processes and controls to ensure that this does not happen again.
Under the terms of the settlement we have agreed to plead guilty, pay a fine of USD 8.97 billion, and we have accepted a temporary suspension of USD direct clearing focused mainly on the Oil & Gas Energy & Commodity Finance business in certain locations. We will maintain our licenses as part of the settlements, and we expect no impact on our operational or business capabilities to serve the vast majority of our clients. The settlement does not call into question the strength and solidity of BNP Paribas.
With this matter now resolved, the Group remains firmly focused on the future and our global business development plan. North America, our second largest market where we employ over 15,000 staff, is a strategic region for BNP Paribas. We plan to continue developing our Retail, Investment Solutions and Corporate & Investment Banking franchises here over the coming years.
On behalf of BNP Paribas, I want to thank our clients, employees, shareholders and investors for their support throughout this difficult time. BNP Paribas will continue to work every single day to earn your trust and to provide the high level of service that you expect of us.
Sincerely,
Jean-Laurent BONNAFE
CEO – BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas Corporate and Institutional Banking is pleased to announce that Catherine Flax has joined the bank as Managing Director, Head of Commodity Derivatives, Americas.
Catherine‘s experience in commodities trading and marketing will be instrumental to further develop BNP Paribas’ client-focused Commodity Derivatives franchise in North America. She will report locally to Edward Speal, Head of Global Equities and Commodity Derivatives, Americas and globally to Amine Bel Hadj Soulami, Global Head of Commodity Derivatives.
“This is a significant appointment for BNP Paribas” commented Speal. “Catherine’s arrival underscores both our commitment to serving clients in the commodity derivatives space and our desire to position our platform for success as the commodities industry continues to evolve” he added.
Catherine joins BNP Paribas from J.P. Morgan where she has spent the last 8 years in a number of high-level management positions. She has won high accolades from the industry and has been recognized as one of the most influential women in the financial world both in the US and in Europe.
“Catherine brings a vast depth of experience in global commodity markets” commented Bel Hadj Soulami. “We look forward to leveraging on her exemplary track record to further build our offer in the Americas to support our successful Commodity Derivatives franchise” he concluded.
Catherine joins a global Commodity Derivatives division of over 200 dedicated front office professionals based across Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas serving a diverse client base of over 3,000 covering the entire commodity value chain. The global platform operates three complementary trading and risk management activities, offering OTC Commodity Derivatives products, Listed Derivatives and Clearing services as well as Physical commodity capabilities. BNP Paribas has been providing financing and risk management services to the global commodities industry for over a quarter of a century, with the Commodity Derivatives business originally being constructed to respond to the bank’s financing clients’ hedging needs. The client-centric nature of the platform has remained closely tied to the business’ philosophy ever since, and in 2012 the business was ranked number 1 for Excellence in Commodity Finance & Structured Products at the annual Commodity Business Awards.
Press contact:
Cesaltine Gregorio – +1.212.841.3719 – Cesaltine.Gregorio@bnpparibas.com
BNP Paribas has launched an ‘Rescue & Recover’ fund, which offers Group staff the opportunity to provide generous support to disaster victims, whether in the form of rapid aid in an emergency situation or through long term support for charity organisations and NGOs working to combat various ‘forgotten’ humanitarian crises around the world.
A unique approach
In setting up this charitable fund, presided by Group Chairman Baudouin Prot
and permanently open for donations from all BNP Paribas staff worldwide, BNP Paribas is taking a pioneering approach to corporate humanitarian and charitable aid.
BNP Paribas will match every donation made by any Group employee with an equal sum. The funds thus collected will be passed on to three partner NGOs: leading international humanitarian organisation CARE; the French Red Cross; and Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders).
Emergency aid experts on the Board
Launched late last year, the donation fund’s Board includes two highly qualified experts in the field of emergency aid, who are able to contribute in-depth knowledge of the issues and thus help to decide which projects should receive financial support.
– Sylvie Lemmet, a graduate of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), with further qualifications from Harvard University and leading French business school HEC, is Director of the Technology, Industry & Economics Division (DTIE) of the United Nations Environment Programme. She has been responsible for large-scale projects in sustainable development, a Senior Auditor at the French Cour des Comptes, and has also been Financial Director and member of the Executive Board of Médecins Sans Frontières
Professor Marc Sabbe is a full Professor in Emergency and Disaster Medicine at the University of Leuven, Belgium and an attending emergency physician at the University Hospitals of Leuven. In the 1990s he founded the European Society for Emergency Medicine, of which he is now the Honorary Secretary.
A promising start
The fund has now been open for donations for a few weeks. It is designed to collect donations from employees in 17 countries where BNP Paribas is present. The average donation has so far amounted to over €90, illustrating the generous commitment of Group staff to assisting a number of projects in the field of mother-and-child health to which the fund has pledged support:
– A Médecins Sans Frontières maternity-child centre in Colombia
– A CARE initiative to combat malnutrition in Niger
– The work carried out by the Red Cross to help people access care services in the Central African Republic
About BNP Paribas Corporate Social Responsibility policy
At BNP Paribas, being a responsible bank means first and foremost helping to finance the real economy by helping all our clients – individual customers, corporates and institutional clients – to make a success of their plans and projects. However, in addition to this economic responsibility, the Group’s approach to CSR manifests itself in three other areas:
– Employer responsibility, by ensuring fair and loyal treatment for the Group’s 190,000 employees and by engaging in meaningful dialogue with the workforce representatives.
– Civic responsibility, by helping to combat social marginalisation and promoting education and culture. The Group is closely involved in initiatives for the general good of society beyond the purely banking sphere, including providing help to disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods, micro-lending, and supporting social economy and charitable projects. Our social commitment is also demonstrated through the philanthropic work carried out by the BNP Paribas Foundation to promote social solidarity, education, culture and healthcare research.
– Environmental.responsibility: BNP Paribas monitors the environmental impact both of its banking activities, through specific policies relating to sensitive sectors, and its own day-to-day functioning. Through the BNP Paribas Foundation, the Group also supports environmental care projects.
BNP Paribas is pleased to announce that the NSPCC has been chosen as its 2013 UK Charity of the Year. BNP Paribas’ UK-based employees were asked to elect their favourite cause from a shortlist of four charities, with the NSPCC receiving 45% of the vote. The NSPCC will receive the proceeds from employee fundraising activities throughout 2013, as well as being the beneficiary of this year’s Christmas raffle. Employees will also have the opportunity to get involved in volunteering with the charity over the course of the year.
The NSPCC works to end cruelty to children in the UK. Its ChildLine service receives thousands of calls from children reporting abuse and neglect, providing these children with help, support and hope. With BNP Paribas’ support, the NSPCC will introduce a dedicated schools service to help reach younger children in London and the UK.
Click here for more information on the NSPCC
BNP Paribas Wealth Management was named “Outstanding Private Bank in Europe” by Private Banker International and was highly commended in the “Oustanding Private Bank Worldwide” category.
Vincent Lecomte and Sofia Merlo, Co-CEOs of BNP Paribas Wealth Management, commented on the award, “This recognition is testament to our capacity to serve clients. Within a strong BNP Paribas Group,Wealth Management offers tailored and effective solutions to our clients in Europe, and worldwide. This is what makes us different and unique.”
This accolade adds to a growing list of awards which recognise the strength of BNP Paribas Wealth Management:
- Private Banker International 2012 – Best Foreign Private Bank in Hong Kong
- Euromoney Ranking 2012 – 7th “Best Global Private Bank” – 3rd “Best Private Bank in Western Europe” – 1st in France, Luxembourg, Ukraine – 4th in the Middle East
- Asiamoney Ranking 2012 – 4th “Best Private Bank in Asia” (HNWI segment >$25M).