BNP Paribas today announced it has appointed Richard Choi as UK Head of Real Estate Advisory, Global Banking, BNP Paribas. He will be based in London and report to Matthew Ponsonby, UK Head of Global Banking and Pierre Semeria, Head of Real Estate Integrated Sector EMEA.
Richard was previously Head of International Business Development, DAMAC Properties and prior to this, Head of Real Estate & Hospitality Investment Banking, EMEA at HSBC. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University.
Matthew Ponsonby , UK Head of Global Banking, BNP Paribas said: “UK Real Estate Advisory is a core part of our UK Global Banking strategy. We are delighted to welcome Richard to BNP Paribas and look forward to working together to further strengthen our existing Real Estate franchise and enhance the strategic dialogue with our UK clients.”
BNP Paribas has an established Real Estate practice in Europe and in the UK, which includes financing as well as equity research and the acquisition of Strutt and Parker in 2017.
London, UK – 29 September 2017 – BNP Paribas has appointed Matthew Ponsonby as Head of UK Corporate Banking in its Corporate and Institutional Banking unit. In this newly-created role, Mr. Ponsonby will be responsible for managing the corporate business of the BNP Paribas Group in the UK and for spearheading its expansion. He reports to Anne Marie Verstraeten, UK Country Head, BNP Paribas Group and Yannick Jung, Head of EMEA Corporate Clients, Financing and Advisory.
In March, as part of its 2020 Business Development Plan, BNP Paribas CIB identified the UK as one of four target European markets in which it aims to expand its business, with a particular segmental focus on UK corporates and UK subsidiaries of multinational groups.
Ms. Verstraeten said: “We are committed to growing our already well-established UK franchise. Matthew’s extensive knowledge of the corporate landscape – in the UK and beyond – along with his unparalleled investment banking experience will help us achieve this goal. His excellent track record of combining strong debt franchises with M&A advisory makes him a particularly good fit for the task in hand.”
Mr. Ponsonby brings more than 30 years’ experience in financial services, in particular investment banking, equity markets and M&A. He has advised on transactions worth more than GBP350bn over the course of his career, including some of the largest transactions in EMEA. He joins from Barclays investment bank where he served from 2009-2017, most recently as Vice-Chairman and Global Co-Chief Operating Officer of Banking. Prior to this, Mr. Ponsonby worked for Citigroup where he held various senior positions including Head of European Utilities, Head of the Advisory Group in Japan, and Global Head of Infrastructure Investment Banking. Mr. Ponsonby has also held positions at Deutsche Morgan Grenfell and Andersen Consulting.
The BNP Paribas Group employs more than 7,500 staff in the UK, serving a broad client base through a comprehensive offering that includes corporate and institutional banking, securities services, real estate services, asset management, insurance, personal finance, leasing solutions and commercial finance. In 2017, the bank celebrates its 150th year of operation in the UK. BNP Paribas UK Corporate Banking comprises relationship coverage, corporate debt, advisory, trade and treasury teams.
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About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) is a leading bank in Europe with an international reach. It has a presence in 74 countries, with more than 192,000 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 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.
About BNP Paribas Corporate and Institutional Banking
Fully integrated in the BNP Paribas Group, BNP Paribas Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB) (www.cib.bnpparibas.com) 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 and Derivatives. It is a top European house in Equity Capital Markets and it has leading franchises in Specialized Financing. In Securities Services, it is a top five House worldwide. BNP Paribas CIB strives to service the global economy by providing solutions to its clients in financing (ECM, DCM, specialized financing), flow banking (trade finance and cash management), financial advisory (M&A, project finance), global markets (interest rates, credit, foreign exchange, equity derivatives), risk management, and securities services.