BNP Paribas SA appoints Kieran Fahy as new CEO

Johannesburg - Leading bank in the Eurozone and prominent international banking institution, BNP Paribas has appointed Kieran Fahy as Chief Executive Officer, South Africa, effective immediately. The financial institution with a presence in 71 countries, and more than 198,000 employees said that Kieran will report to Amine Bel Hadj Soulami, Head of BNP Paribas Middle East & Africa.

In a statement released this morning, the bank said Kieran has over 20 years of experience within the banking and financial services industry. It stated that he joins the BNP Paribas Johannesburg office from Paris, where he spent the past 4 years as a member of BNP Paribas’ Europe Middle East & Africa (EMEA) Corporate Coverage Management Team with responsibility for the EMEA Multinational Corporate franchise.

Kieran Fahy has a wealth of professional experience, holding senior positions within BNP Paribas including Chief Executive Officer for BNP Paribas Sweden, where he also headed the Stockholm Branch, and acting Head of Coverage Corporate Banking for Sweden and Finland, it said. Previous roles include Head of Corporate and Transaction Banking and responsibility for Corporate and Institutional Coverage for BNP Paribas in Ireland.

Before joining BNP Paribas in 2002, Kieran also worked for JP Morgan in Dublin, and Chase Manhattan Bank, in London and Dublin.

Amine Bel Hadj Soulami, Head of BNP Paribas Middle East & Africa said, “Kieran has extensive experience managing a large team across multiple international markets. We are confident that he will continue to develop our business in South Africa, progressing the bank’s sustainable finance agenda and working with both local and multi-national clients to provide best in class services and solutions.

“Kieran will also nurture our existing corporate social responsibility projects in South Africa such as the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), and BNP Paribas & RCS Rising Star Tennis, which give back to the local communities in areas such as conflict resolution and grassroots sport.”

BNP Paribas has key positions in three main activities: Domestic Markets, International Financial Services and Corporate & Institutional Banking, and the Group helps all its clients to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. The Bank also has a presence in South Africa via a Full Commercial Branch, which acts as a regional hub for operations in Southern Africa, and in Morocco through BNP Paribas Regional Investment Company (BRIC), which acts as a hub for wider Africa.