BNP Paribas announces the hire of Peter Cooke to serve as General Counsel for its Corporate and Institutional Bank (CIB) in the Americas and for BNP Paribas USA, its intermediate holding company (IHC) housing the Bank’s retail and wholesale operations in the United States.

Mr. Cooke will be based in New York and will report globally to Georges Dirani, Group General Counsel based in Paris, and regionally to Jean-Yves Fillion, CEO of BNP Paribas USA and Head of Americas CIB. Mr. Cooke will lead the legal department across North and Latin America for CIB, as well as oversee external counsel. He takes over the department from the previous General Counsel, Betty Whelchel, who was appointed Head of Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs for the United States earlier this year.

Speaking about Mr. Cooke, Mr. Dirani stated: “Peter’s deep understanding of capital markets and banking combined with his exceptional leadership make him the ideal fit for the Bank in servicing the multi-faceted needs of our client deals and transactions.”

Mr. Fillion added, “I trust that Peter will help us further our regional ambitions to provide our clients with best-in-class service across CIB Americas and Bank of the West.”

Mr. Cooke joins the Bank having previously served as General Counsel for General Electric’s Corporate Treasury. Prior to that, he had also worked at Bear Stearns & Co. where he was International and Derivatives General Counsel. A member of the New York State bar, Mr. Cooke holds a law degree from Leicester University in England.

 

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.

 

About BNP Paribas Group

BNP Paribas is a leading bank in Europe with an international reach. It has a presence in 75 countries, with more than 189,000 employees, including more than 146,000 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 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.

Follow us on Twitter: @BNPPamericas

New York, NY (July 6, 2016) – BNP Paribas today announced that its Cross-Asset Structured Products Distribution team received six prominent awards from leading industry publications. The awards showcase the Bank’s unique sustainable investment offerings, innovative technology through its SMART derivatives platform and new opportunities for clients in Latin America.

BNP Paribas was honored with the following 2016 awards:

Structured Products Americas Awards

• Latin America House of the Year
• Technology Vendor of the Year – Bank (for SMART derivatives)

 SRP Awards – Americas Structured Products & Derivatives Awards

• Deal of the Year (for Equity-Linked Green Growth Bonds issued by the World Bank)
• Best Single-Dealer Platform (for SMART derivatives)

mtn-i Awards

• Latin America Investor Solutions
• Deal of the Year (for Equity-Linked Green Growth Bonds issued by the World Bank)

“The success of our team is centered around three core pillars. The strength of our dedicated employees who are passionate about growing the business, our solid, unwavering commitment to our diverse client base, and our desire to provide innovative offerings to the market,” said Franck Bertoneche, Head of Cross-Asset Structured Products Distribution Sales for the Americas. “These awards demonstrate our commitment to providing leading products and technology to clients, and our aggressive expansion in the Structured Products space. We plan to continue this momentum as we strengthen and develop our core platform.”

The Americas Structured Products team has grown significantly in the last several years and continues to be a competitive player within the industry. The platform has performed well with some specific projects paving the way for these award wins.

The Structured Products Magazine Awards, the Americas Structured Products & Derivatives Awards, and mtn-i Awards recognize the best buy-side and sell-side firms, as well as identify service providers active in the structured products and derivatives market. They award the top institutions and deals which provided the most compelling investor solutions in the structured products space.

About BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas is a leading bank in Europe with an international reach. It has a presence in 75 countries, with more than 189,000 employees, including more than 146,000 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 realise 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 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.

BNP Paribas announces the creation of an Intermediate Holding Company (IHC), BNP Paribas USA, Inc. (BNP Paribas USA), effective 1 July 2016. This decision signals the bank’s commitment to the US market, its largest market⁽¹⁾ outside Europe and a region that is central to BNP Paribas’ businesses and development plans. As a large Foreign Banking Organization (FBO), BNP Paribas is required by new regulation to place all its controlled US subsidiaries under a US holding company. BNP Paribas USA will hold BNP Paribas’ retail subsidiary ‘BancWest’ and BNP Paribas’ Corporate and Institutional Banking’s (CIB) and asset management subsidiaries in the United States.

BNP Paribas’ wholesale and retail businesses in the United States have seen significant growth over the past couple of years: in 2015 CIB and Retail Banking & Services increased their revenues in North America by, respectively, 15% and 5% (in USD) vs 2014. Today the BNP Paribas Group employs over 16,000 people in the country.

The governance of BNP Paribas USA is comprised of top management from across the two pre-existing businesses. Michael Shepherd becomes Chairman of BNP Paribas USA and retains his chairmanship of BancWest. Jean-Yves Fillion, Head of CIB Americas becomes the CEO of BNP Paribas USA.

“BNP Paribas USA embodies our commitment and investment in the US market,” said Michael Shepherd, Chairman of BNP Paribas USA. “Led by a talented team of executives from across our operating entities, BNP Paribas USA will integrate business processes, promote coordination among our businesses, and provide additional capabilities for the benefit of all our clients.”

Jean-Yves Fillion, CEO of BNP Paribas USA, added: “The significant investments in infrastructure, IT and systems to create a best-in-class-platform demonstrate our commitment to US customers and we believe the creation of the Intermediate Holding Company is an opportunity for
BNP Paribas to further grow its US presence.”

(1) by commitments as of 12/31/15

 

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.

About BNP Paribas Group

BNP Paribas is a leading bank in Europe with an international reach. It has a presence in 75 countries, with more than 189,000 employees, including more than 146,000 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 realise 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 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.

SAN FRANCISCO – MARCH 16, 2016 –  Bank of the West, a BNP Paribas subsidiary, today announced the appointment of Nandita Bakhshi as President and CEO-designate effective April 1.  Ms. Bakhshi will assume the role of President and CEO on June 1, when current CEO Michael Shepherd, 60, will take on the role of Chairman of BNP Paribas USA, the new holding company for all BNP Paribas subsidiaries in the U.S. Mr. Shepherd will continue to serve as Chairman of BancWest Corporation and of Bank of the West.

“We are pleased to welcome Nandita Bakhshi to Bank of the West.  Her extensive experience in product and distribution, coupled with her visionary thinking, relentless customer focus and values-driven philosophy will serve us well in taking Bank of the West to greater heights,” said Stefaan Decraene, Head of International Retail Banking for BNP Paribas.

“I am very pleased that Nandita Bakhshi is joining Bank of the West,” said Shepherd.  “Her energy, innovative ideas and proven record of accomplishments are a great combination with our strong franchise and corporate culture.”

“I am excited to join Bank of the West, one of America’s most reputable banks.  Bank of the West is well positioned in the U.S. market and I’m thrilled at the prospect of leading an organization with such a strong focus on customer service,” said Bakhshi.

Bakhshi joins Bank of the West from TD Bank, where she held several leadership positions, most recently as Executive Vice President and Head of North American Direct Channels.  In that role, she was responsible for driving innovation in direct and electronic channels to improve digital adoption and provide customers a unified banking experience.  Earlier, she had served as Executive Vice President and Head of Consumer Banking at TD Bank in the U.S., where she led product innovation and delivery across all retail channels, spanning more than 1,300 bank locations from Maine to Florida.

Prior to joining TD Bank, Bakhshi was Executive Vice President of Consumer Deposits and Payments at Washington Mutual in Seattle, now JP Morgan Chase.  A 28-year veteran of the financial services industry, with broad experience in banking, Bakhshi has also held leadership positions at FleetBoston, now Bank of America, as well as at First Data Corp., where she was the managing director of their mobile payments division.  Bakhshi holds a Masters of Arts degree in international relations from Jadavpur University in India.

“Michael has been instrumental in making Bank of the West a leading financial institution known for its financial strength and commitment to its clients and communities,” said Decraene.  “For nearly a decade as CEO, Michael has led the transformation of Bank of the West into one of the leading regional banking organizations in the U.S.”

Shepherd’s career spans senior positions in banking, government and law, including recent service as President of the Federal Reserve Board’s Federal Advisory Council.  He previously worked as General Counsel of Bank of New York and of Shawmut National Corporation and served in government as Senior Deputy Comptroller of the Currency, Associate Counsel to the President of the United States and Deputy Assistant Attorney General.

About Bank of the West
Bank of the West is a regional financial services company chartered in California and headquartered in San Francisco with $75.7 billion in assets as of December 31, 2015. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 600 offices in 22 states and digital channels. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 75 countries with 185,000 employees.

Media Contacts
Lance Berg
415-399-8230
lance.berg@bankofthewest.com

Anita Fox
415-432-3514
anita.fox@bankofthewest.com

Deposit and loan products offered by Bank of the West, Member FDIC. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender

The first Blockchain Bizhackathon organised by BNP Paribas on Transaction Banking activities has just ended. Initiated by the Corporate Trade and Treasury Solutions team, the aim was to assess real-world potential blockchain technology applications for use in both trade finance and cash management.

In the context of the digital transformation of BNP Paribas and the Bank studying blockchain technology since 2011, the Corporate Trade and Treasury Solutions team started to reflect on potential direct blockchain applications for use in its business activities.

During two days, more than 70 participants (transversal teams from BNP Paribas, clients, blockchain experts and FinTechs) gathered to explore how this new technology could concretely improve both the customer experience and the efficiency of the services offered in the following six areas of transaction banking:

• Cash management & correspondent banking
• Trade finance & documentation
• Supply chain upstream: inventory management
• Supply chain downstream: payables & receivables
• Commodity financing
• Open account

Thanks to the highly collaborative work produced during the two days, promising ideas emerged. They will now be further analysed and deepened over the course of the year, in order to assess their true potential and actual feasibility in a reasonable timeframe.

Marc Carlos, Head of Corporate Trade and Treasury Solutions, BNP Paribas, explains: “Our first ‘bizhackathon’ helped us to highlight the opportunities of the blockchain for our flow financing activities and our financial services to corporate treasurers, as well as its potential applications to improve our practices, review and optimise our processes, and reinforce the reliability, traceability and security of our transactions”.

“Our clients’ contribution over the two days was invaluable because it helped us, not only to understand their needs, but also to reflect together on how to reinvent the way in which we can work together to enhance the quality and relevance of our client solutions. The presence of internationally-renowned experts in Blockchain technology in each of our groups also helped us to work in an agile and rapid way, accelerating the process of reflecting on, and analysing the options”.

For BNP Paribas, which has also joined international (R3) and European (CDC) initiatives, and has just announced its acquisition of a stake in the FinTech, Digital Asset Holdings, the blockchain could be a real driver of innovation in banking practices, and therefore beneficial to all its clients.

 

About BNP Paribas Corporate and Institutional Banking

Fully integrated in the BNP Paribas Group and representing approx. one third of the Group’s revenues, BNP Paribas Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB) is a leading provider of solutions to two client franchises: corporates and institutionals, and operates across EMEA (Europe Middle East Africa), APAC (Asia Pacific) and the Americas. The bank is a global leader in Debt Capital Markets, Derivatives, is a top European house in Equity Capital Markets, has leading franchises in Specialized Financing and is a top five Securities Services House worldwide. BNP Paribas CIB strives to service the global economy by providing personalised solutions in risk management across all asset classes, financing (ECM, DCM, specialized financing…), financial advisory (M&A, project finance), flow banking (trade finance and cash management), global markets (interest rates, credit, foreign exchange, equity derivatives…), and securities services.

Bank of the West Wealth Management has inaugurated a new centre in Palo Alto in California.

Already present in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and California, this is the bank’s twelfth Wealth Management centre in the US.

“The opening of this new centre in the heart of Silicon Valley is part of a deliberate plan, alongside Bank of the West Wealth Management, our representative in the US, to strengthen our activity in this privileged region, at the epicentre of innovation and leading edge technology”, says Sofia Merlo, Co-CEO of BNP Paribas Wealth Management.

A team of private banking advisors and Wealth Management professionals will offer a comprehensive range of exclusive, personalised wealth management services specifically tailored to HNW and UHNW* private banking clients, including private individuals, families, entrepreneurs and business leaders living or working in Silicon Valley.

“The opening of this new centre in Silicon Valley also underscores our commitment to supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and international networking. During the Palo Alto inauguration, we took the opportunity to also welcome 24 women entrepreneurs from seven different countries to the Stanford campus as part of the “Women Entrepreneur Program”, adds Sofia Merlo.

About the “Women Entrepreneur Program” As part of its role in promoting women entrepreneurs, BNP Paribas Wealth Management launched the “Women Entrepreneur Program” in Stanford between 12 and 17 July 2015.A group of 24 women entrepreneurs from Europe, Asia and the US, representing international, high growth companies, participated in an exclusive suite of courses and conferences given by teachers from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in Palo Alto.

About BNP Paribas Wealth Management

BNP Paribas Wealth Management is a leading global private bank and #1 Private Bank in the Eurozone. Present in some 30 countries and in every major financial center, over 6,300 professionals, provide a private investor clientele with solutions for optimizing and managing their assets. The bank has €332 billion worth of assets under management (as at end March 2015).

About Bank of the West

Bank of the West is a regional financial services company chartered in California and headquartered in San Francisco with $70.9 billion in assets as of March 31, 2015. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 600 offices in 22 states and digital channels. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 75 countries with 185,000 employees.

Bank of the West Wealth Management provides wealth planning, investment management personal banking and trust services. The group is part of BNP Paribas’ global wealth management business with $15.5 billion as of June 2015 in assets under management in the United States.

HNW and UHNW*: High Net Worth and Ultra High Net Worth

Photos of the Palo Alto centre and of the inauguration are available on request

BNP Paribas is partnering simultaneously and at an international level with Facebook, Google, LinkedIn and Twitter. With four members of the Group Executive Committee involved in the initiative, BNP Paribas is establishing strategic management of its presence on digital media, while opening up to new opportunities for cooperation and innovation in terms of communications, marketing and customer relations.

“BNP Paribas already has more than 500 million digital interactions with its clients per year, making it a leading digital player. The worldwide partnerships signed with each of these four global digital leaders, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn and Twitter, will help us strengthen our relationship with our clients and prospects on these platforms. It will also galvanise our capacity for innovation so we can offer services that are increasingly tailored to meet their needs,” said Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, Director and Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas.

The relationship-based model has been revolutionised by mobile devices, which have become the main tool used by banking clients to contact their advisor or manage their accounts. Improving the digital banking experience for clients is therefore a key development priority for BNP Paribas. The company wants to give them both choice and flexibility of use through the new ways of interacting offered by social networks, new mobile services, simplified processes, and more.

These partnerships actively work toward this goal by reinforcing the cooperation between the bank and the four digital giants. This cooperation relies on a global governance which will be built around a shared roadmap. Regular meetings between the initiative’s sponsors at these four companies and at the bank will ensure the partnerships run smoothly. These alliances will speed up the bank’s digital transformation, making it possible to work together to analyse and manage new business opportunities.

The cooperative agreement with Google was signed by Thierry Laborde, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Head of Domestic Markets at BNP Paribas, and Nick Leeder, President of EMEA Business and Operations at Google.

For BNP Paribas, its collaboration with Google is an opportunity to improve the accessibility of our services for the greatest number of people, as well as to adapt our products based on the needs of our clients. This will make it possible for the bank’s teams to improve their understanding of current practices, as well as their technical expertise and command of new communication formats suited to mobile technologies. As such, mobile already accounts for nearly 15% of the Group’s investment with Google.

BNP Paribas was the first bank to launch a customer service on Google+ in 2013. Each year, more than 110 million requests are carried out for BNP Paribas brands. At present, the Group’s YouTube channels have tallied more than 28 million views, with 5 million just for its Cetelem channel in France.

The collaboration agreement with Twitter, is signed by Marie Claire Capobianco, Head of Retail Banking France at BNP Paribas and Jean-Philippe Maheu, Vice President Brands & Agencies Twitter.

This collaboration agreement will support the digitisation of BNP Paribas’ business and open up new horizons, especially in the use of public Twitter data.

Since it launched its first Twitter account in 2009, BNP Paribas has been a pioneer in the use of the platform in France. It was the first French bank to open a dedicated customer service on Twitter, now offering an average response time of 2 minutes.

BNP Paribas also successfully participated in #YourJob on February 24, the first day dedicated to talent recruitment on Twitter, as part of its strategy to recruit young talents.

On top of its day to day community management efforts (@WeAreTennisfr or @WeLoveCinemafr), BNP Paribas has developed new services tailored to the real-time and global nature of Twitter, such as #FilDesExpertsBourse (launched in April 2014) that gathers six finance experts to decipher daily economic and financial news, or the #MaPubIci program, which offers Twitter advertising credits to a selection of French start-ups to raise awareness on their project in France and abroad.

The cooperative agreement with Facebook was signed by Max Jadot, Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas Fortis.

This will enable the Group to strengthen its expertise in digital, social and mobile and to benefit from an international communication platform with 1.44 billion active users. This collaboration is a chance to seize social business opportunities by following the lead of subsidiaries such as TEB in Turkey, which uses Facebook for co-creation of campaigns, getting customer insights, sales, acquisition, real time marketing and 7/24 customer service. Facebook is also a fantastic forum for intensifying our audiences’ engagement with the bank’s brand platforms (especially tennis, movies and innovation).

BNP Paribas was the first bank to launch a customer service on Facebook in 2009.

BNP Paribas currently has 3.6 million fans on Facebook. Through We are Tennis, BNP Paribas runs the leading tennis-focused community on Facebook, with 1.1 million fans worldwide.

The cooperative agreement with LinkedIn was signed by Yves Martrenchar, Group Head of Human Resources, and Pierre Berlin, Senior Director of Sales EMEA, Talent Solutions at LinkedIn.

For BNP Paribas, this collaboration with LinkedIn enables the Group to extend beyond LinkedIn Talent Solutions, (which it uses to recruit talent and promote its employer brand) and to accelerate its B2B business by adopting the two other key LinkedIn solutions: LinkedIn Marketing Solutions and LinkedIn Sales Solutions. From a marketing standpoint, BNP Paribas will be able to reach and nurture B2B targets and build strong engagement with its clients on LinkedIn’s professional network. From a sales standpoint, the bank will be able to enable its sales teams to leverage ‘social selling’ as a new way to reach prospects and clients. BNP Paribas’ LinkedIn pages have more than 430,000 followers.

These partnerships are part of BNP Paribas’ open innovation ecosystem. Its vision involves relying on a strategy of partnering with all of the stakeholders in the digital world, whether they are giants of the sector, FinTech developers or startups. Although the partnerships signed today mark a major step in accelerating BNP Paribas’ digital transformation, the startup houses have existed since 2012. In addition, last June the bank launched the first international Hackathon to take place in five countries at once.

Technology is central to the Group’s development plan and supports a strong conviction: that digital transformation will be of structural importance to the bank’s future. This has resulted in accelerated investment in this area, and especially in revolutionizing customer relations. The main challenge is offering customers a digital banking experience with all of the choice and flexibility that implies, while ensuring their transactions and data remain secure.

 

About BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas has a presence in 75 countries with more than 185,000 employees, including 145,000 in Europe. It ranks highly in its two core activities: Retail Banking & Services (comprised of Domestic Markets and International Financial Services) and Corporate & Institutional 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 & Institutional Banking and International Financial Services activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas and solid and fast-growing businesses in Asia-Pacific.

 

Follow us on Twitter : @BNPPamericas

A group of 24 women leading international fast-growing businesses in Europe, Asia and the US will attend this exclusive program sponsored by BNP Paribas Wealth Management on the Stanford Campus in California.

Committed to supporting female entrepreneurship, BNP Paribas Wealth Management brings together a talented group of 24 women entrepreneurs from Belgium, France, Italy, China, Hong-Kong, Singapore and the United States. Over the course of this week-long program at Stanford Graduate School of Business, participants attend a wide-range of classes led by Stanford Graduate School of Business faculty members on the Palo Alto campus.

The curriculum, which has been tailored to meet the needs of these highly accomplished businesswomen, offers a unique mix of knowledge, skills acquisition and development. In addition to providing personal and professional development, the Executive Program for Women provides an unparalleled opportunity for cross border discussion and global networking.

Sofia Merlo, Co-CEO of BNP Paribas Wealth Management, comments: “This innovative program with the prestigious Stanford Campus illustrates BNP Paribas Wealth Management commitment to promoting women entrepreneurship.”

The courses that will be attended by the women over this week-long program will be taught by recognized experts in strategic leadership, business synergies and opportunities. Their ultimate goal along is to facilitate the acquisition of efficient management practices and to identify external growth opportunities.

Created with the support of the mentoring association WBMI (Women Business Mentoring Initiative), it is fully aligned with the other initiatives supported by the private bank – Women Equity for Growth and the Global Entrepreneurialism Report.

About BNP Paribas Wealth Management

BNP Paribas Wealth Management is a leading global private bank and #1 Private Bank in the Eurozone. Present in some 30 countries and in every major financial center, over 6,300 professionals, provide a private investor clientele with solutions for optimizing and managing their assets. The bank has €332 billion worth of assets under management (as at end March 2015)

Follow us on Twitter : @BNPPamericas

Providing free tennis lessons to children in New York City

BNP Paribas announces today that it is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2015 “CityParks Tennis” program, an initiative providing free tennis lessons to thousands of children between the ages of six and 16 in more than 35 parks throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The program will commence on July 6, 2015 and runs through August 14.

One of the largest free municipal tennis programs in the United States, these classes promote physical fitness while building self-confidence, and are designed to make the sport of tennis available to children who want to learn the game in a fun, relaxed environment. Lessons are offered at all skill levels, including free beginner lessons. Tournaments, leagues, excellence programs and special events will be organized throughout the course of the program.

The event will conclude with a tournament held at the Central Park Tennis Center for beginners and the BNP Paribas Aces Tournament held at Flushing Meadows Tennis Center for intermediates in mid-August.

Outlining the motivation for the sponsorship, Jean-Yves Fillion, CEO, BNP Paribas North America and Head of the Americas for CIB stated: “The game of tennis is a wonderful reminder of the dual-paths to success, through both individual performance and teamwork. It is a pleasure to support this initiative which teaches children the value of sportsmanship while concurrently demonstrating all that can be achieved through a commitment to self-improvement.”

BNP Paribas is the world’s largest sponsor of tennis and has been a strong supporter of the sport for 42 years, starting as the official sponsor of  Roland Garros in 1973 and expanding the commitment through sponsorship of events across the globe, including the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the BNP Paribas Showdown in New York, the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas.

BNP Paribas is very committed to the communities in which it operates and the bank has a strong focus on volunteering. In 2014 BNP Paribas 1,379 employees took part in over 50 philanthropic initiatives, partnering with 17 community organizations, including Partnership for Parks, a sister program to City Parks Tennis   Projects included revitalizing neighborhood parks and green spaces, prepping and packing meals, and participating in educational and recreational programs provided to children and families living with medical challenges.

For more information on the 2015 CityParks Tennis program, visit http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/sports/tennis/

 

About BNP Paribas Group

BNP Paribas has operations in 75 countries and boasts more than 185,000 employees, including approximately 145,000 in Europe. It ranks highly in its two core activities: Retail Banking & Services (comprised of Domestic Markets and International Financial Services) and Corporate & Institutional 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 & Institutional Banking and International Financial Services activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas and solid and fast-growing businesses in Asia-Pacific

 

About City Parks Foundation

City Parks Foundation (CPF) is the only independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to offer programs in parks throughout the five boroughs of New York City. We work in more than 350 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of programs in an effort to promote healthy and vibrant communities. Our programs and community building initiatives reach 425,000 people each year. Our ethos is simple: we believe thriving parks reflect thriving communities.  For more details, please visit www.CityParksFoundation.org.

 

Follow us on Twitter : @BNPPamericas

 

Over the weekend BNP Paribas held its first-ever international hackathon with simultaneous sessions in five cities – Paris, Brussels, Rome, Istanbul and San Francisco. During the 48-hour period some 300 designers, developers and young startup teams were invited to work on one central theme: enhancing the customer experience.

An international ‘first’

Not only is digital transformation key in BNP Paribas Group’s business development plan for the coming years but the Bank is also building up a new Open Innovation ecosystem. Accordingly, ‘co-creation’ was the watchword of the BNP Paribas International Hackathon. For two days this international multi-site event gave talented people with diverse specialities the opportunity to collaborate and come up with prototypes for apps or online services in response to a particular business need. This is the first time that a competition on this scale has been held simultaneously in five countries, with the involvement of two of the Bank’s businesses – BNP Paribas Cardif and BNP Paribas Personal Finance. Programmers, developers, designers and startup owners all worked on four common themes around the customer experience: click and mortar, simple yet secure, financial literacy and empowerment, tailored and relevant.

A 3-stage programme

The digital challenge is being run in three stages. The first stage was the competition which took place last weekend, at the end of which 16 teams were selected to go forward to the second stage – a digital boot-camp, which will be running in the summer until September. This will be an online mentoring phase during which the participants will be able to call upon the know-how of BNP Paribas professionals so as to optimise their chances of success. At the end of this period, the competing teams will take part in an international Demo Day, where they will present their projects to innovation experts and investors. Five teams will then be chosen to progress to the third and final stage – a 6-month incubation period. This will provide a unique opportunity to draw on greater resources, including financial support, cutting-edge workspaces, a tailored acceleration programme, plus introductions to potential partners. The teams will retain the intellectual property rights arising from their work on the programme.

Agility combined with expertise

The BNP Paribas International Hackathon is designed to combine the agility of external creators with our in-house expertise in order to meet the rapidly evolving needs and expectations of our customers, while ensuring full security for their operations.

On Sunday evening the 7 winners of the initial stage of the BNP Paribas International Hackathon were named at the WAI[1] space in Paris. They are:

1. Challenges BNP Paribas – BDDF:
Behaviosec
Logmote
Contextor

2. Challenges France Cardif:
Fluo
Datasine

3. Challenges Personal Finance:
Heuritech
Centipede

Nine other teams were awarded in the participating countries.

Marie-Claire Capobianco, Head of the BNP Paribas branch networks in France and a member of the BNP Paribas Executive Committee, stated: “I’m delighted that the Group is supporting startups and collective ingenuity on a worldwide scale. The BNP Paribas International Hackathon provides a clear, powerful response to the changes taking place in the world around us and represents a considerable step in our transition process towards the bank of tomorrow, whose main challenge is to offer our customers a first-rate digital banking experience, while ensuring the security of their transactions and the integrity of their data.”

About BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas has a presence in 75 countries with more than 185,000 employees, including 145,000 in Europe. It ranks highly in its two core activities: Retail Banking & Services (comprised of Domestic Markets and International Financial Services) and Corporate & Institutional 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 & Institutional Banking and International Financial Services activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas and solid and fast-growing businesses in Asia-Pacific.