On 7 July, BNP Paribas announced it has been named “World’s Best Bank for Corporates” for 2017 by Euromoney, the leading financial publication. The global accolade was one of six awards won in total by BNP Paribas, which also included the regional category “Best Digital Bank in Western Europe”.
Overall, BNP Paribas won the following awards:
- World’s Best Bank for Corporates
- Best Digital Bank in Western Europe
- Best Investment Bank in Belgium
- Best Bank in France
- Best Bank in Kosovo
- Best Bank in Luxembourg
For almost 50 years, Euromoney has been the leading publication for covering the growth of international finance. Over the past 12 months its coverage has included interviews with close to 100 bank CEOs, ministers of finance and central bank governors around the world. The awards were established in 1992 and were the first of their kind in the global banking industry. This year Euromoney received almost 1,500 submissions from banks in an awards programme that covers 20 global awards, more than 50 regional awards, and best bank awards in close to 100 countries.
Clive Horwood, Editor, Euromoney said: “While many national champions retrench to their home markets, BNP Paribas is one of the few firms actively broadening its reach into new markets and new clients. Its profile as one of the few truly global corporate banks, alongside its commitment to digital solutions – including co-development with its corporate clients – is proving more suited than ever to the environment in which it operates.”
Commenting on winning “World’s Best Bank for Corporates”, Yann Gerardin, Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking, BNP Paribas said: “The last 12 months have seen us accelerate the transformation of our business, the aim being to meet more needs, of more clients, more effectively. Euromoney’s acknowledgement of our progress is encouraging and a function of three factors: the support of the entire BNP Paribas Group; the commitment of our teams; and the trust our clients continue to show in us. This award – alongside the other five we have won – is recognition of their contribution, and my sincere thanks go to all.”
BNP Paribas today announced that Bing Chen has been appointed CEO of BNP Paribas (China) Limited, effective immediately, following the retirement of Peter Kwok after a long and successful career with the bank.
Mr Chen will lead and further BNP PARIBAS China’s growth focusing on synchronizing client expansion, investing in product development, and strengthening market leader position to best serve our clients’ fast-changing needs across regions and business lines.
Head of Greater China Paul Yang commented: “We will continue to adapt and optimise our onshore and offshore offerings. Bing will work in close coordination with our regional business heads to deepen and widen our corporate and institutional client base by helping both Chinese and multinational corporations to grow in and out of China, leveraging the strength of our global platform across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas.”
“Bing will build upon the solid foundations and the success of our Greater China strategy. Under Peter’s leadership, BNP Paribas in China has well-managed its risks and efficiencies, ranking among the top foreign banks in China in terms of profitability. We thank Peter for his great dedication and contribution to our China growth in this dynamic market.”
Most recently, Mr Chen was the Head of Corporate and Business Development for Greater China and Head of BNP Paribas’ RMB Competence Centre. Before joining the Bank, Mr Chen spent 20 years across the United States, Europe, and China holding executive management positions in banking, trading, and structured finance businesses. Mr Chen is a US CPA and received his MBA from Columbia University in New York.
Based in Shanghai, Mr Chen will report to Mr Yang, Head of Greater China.
At the 13th Piano Aux Jacobins held in China from 5 May to 21 May, Six BNP Paribas “Rising Star” laureates from across China, including Yu Yuewen, Xiao Yuxin, Zang Xiaolu, You Haoran and Liu Moyi, performed together with famous French pianists Baptiste Trotignon, Thomas Enhco and François Dumont. This year, with the support of Bank of Nanjing, the strategic partner of BNP Paribas, the Piano Aux Jacobins came to Nanjing for the first time, with touring performances in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chengdu, Ningbo, Suzhou and Nanjing. The six outstanding young pianists successively performed classical pieces of Chopin, Liszt and Beethoven, demonstrating extraordinary mastery and talent. The promising “Rising Stars” will also have the chance to go to France and perform at more international concerts.
Group photo of BNP Paribas Rising Star Xiao Yuxin (1st from left), Zang Xiaolu (1st from right) and French pianist Thomas Enhco (2nd from left) in Beijing
Group photo of BNP Paribas Rising Star You Haoran (1st from left), Cui Mutian (1st from right), and French pianist Thomas Enhco (2nd from left) and François Dumont (3rd from left) in Nanjing
Group photo of BNP Paribas Rising Star Yu Yuewen (1st from left), Liu Moyi (1st from right), and French panist François Dumont (2nd from left) in Shanghai
Through its charitable foundation and its philanthropic activities, BNP Paribas continuously demonstrates its commitment to supporting and developing programmes all over the world promoting education, culture and research. This is the 5th year for BNP Paribas (China) Ltd. to work with the BNP Paribas Group Foundation to sponsor the annual “Rising Stars” selection and associated events in China. Since 2013, BNP Paribas, through a stringent screening and assessment conducted by music experts, has identified 26 “Rising Stars” in the Chinese piano arena, paving their way to the international stage
Paul Yang, Head of Greater China for BNP Paribas said, “We are glad to see the rise of outstanding young pianists in China. It is our great honour that, through this platform of “Rising Stars”, we could help the talents realize their dreams, feel where their hard work led them to, share their passion with the public, as well as contribute to China-French culture exchange and art development.”
Yu Yuewen, the youngest BNP Paribas “Rising Star” for 2017 said, “After years of practice, I have had the chance to attend many performances and contests, but this is the first time for me to perform at the stage with the world renowned masters. I appreciate BNP Paribas for offering me such a rare experience, from which I have learned so much, and I feel encouraged to go on with the aspiration for world piano stage.”
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has awarded a global custodian mandate to BNP Paribas Securities Services as the new, Beijing-based bank seeks to put in place its internal financial infrastructures for its liquidity investments. BNP Paribas is expected to have global custody of up to USD 20 billion of AIIB assets and will be providing a suite of custody services, with the agreement covering master custody services and other value-added services.
Thierry de Longuemar, AIIB’s Vice-President and CFO, said, “As a new multilateral financial institution, we are focused on building our trading capabilities to deliver infrastructure projects that will improve Asia’s development. BNP Paribas demonstrated solid understanding of our needs and provides us with an integrated, global solution. We also observed a strong level of management commitment and a partnership approach that is aligned with our culture and values.”
“This is a complementary partnership, with BNP Paribas being a responsible and sustainable bank and AIIB’s lean, clean and green ethos,” BNP Paribas’ Asia Pacific Chief Executive Officer Eric Raynaud said. “The breadth of our investment support & facilitation capabilities, the strength of our horizontal integration model and our strong service capability, resulted in BNP Paribas winning this mandate in a global tendering process, demonstrating our One Bank approach is important to our clients.”
The agreement is set to be implemented in the third quarter of 2017.
BNP Paribas, in cooperation with the Bank of Nanjing, today welcomed Jianning Qian, deputy secretary general of Nanjing municipal government and Guping Pan, Vice Minister of Publicity Department of Nanjing Municipal Party Committee to their jointly hosted WAVE exhibition at Bank of Nanjing’s head office in Nanjing. WAVE is a travelling exhibition that demonstrates how collective ingenuity is changing the world, which is open to the public from 1 March to 11 March.
Jianning Qian, deputy secretary general of Nanjing municipal government (the fourth from the left), Guping Pan, Vice Minister of Publicity Department of Nanjing Municipal Party Committee (the sixth from the left), Shenrong Hu, President of Bank of Nanjing (the third from the left) and Stefaan Decraene, Head of BNP Paribas International Retail Banking and a member of the BNP Paribas Group Executive Committee (the fifth from the left) had a group photo with WAVE guests.
The exhibition draws on five currents of ingenuity: co-creation, maker movement, sharing economy, circular economy and inclusive economy. During the exhibition, there are open programmes dedicated for children, students and the general visitors. There will also be workshops and contests that specifically developed for the clients and Bank of Nanjing employees. At the heart of WAVE is the idea of doing more with less.
“Bank of Nanjing is glad to work with BNP Paribas and to introduce WAVE, such an innovative global exhibition, to Nanjing,” Shenrong Hu, President of Bank of Nanjing said at the exhibition. “We hope that WAVE will remind and inspire people to think and act more innovatively in their daily lives. We also look forward to working more closely alongside BNP Paribas, our strategic partner, to anticipate the primary needs of our clients and to bring them simple, efficient and innovative solutions that help them address the changes they face.”
Shenrong Hu, President of Bank of Nanjing and Stefaan Decraene, Head of BNP Paribas International Retail Banking and a member of the BNP Paribas Group Executive Committee communicated in depth with Jianning Qian, deputy secretary general of Nanjing municipal government, who came to visit the exhibition.
Stefaan Decraene, Head of BNP Paribas International Retail Banking and a member of the BNP Paribas Group Executive Committee said: “Thanks to the great efforts from Bank of Nanjing and the BNP Paribas team which enabled us to bring WAVE to the city. Innovation has always been central in BNP Paribas’ strategy. I hope that the WAVE exhibition could encourage us to think differently by showing us new ways of creating value in a constrained environment.”
After its debut public exhibition in Paris in September 2014, WAVE has travelled across various cities around the globe such as Mumbai, Milan, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Istanbul and Dakar.
About BNP Paribas in Asia Pacific
In Asia Pacific, BNP Paribas is one of the best-positioned international financial institutions with an uninterrupted presence since 1860. Currently with over 10,000 employees* and a presence in 14 markets, BNP Paribas provides corporates, institutional and private investors with product and service solutions tailored to their specific needs. It offers a wide range of financial services covering corporate & institutional banking, wealth management, asset management, insurance, as well as retail banking and consumer financing through strategic partnerships.
Worldwide, BNP Paribas has a presence in 74 countries with more than 189,000 employees. It 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. Asia Pacific is a key strategic region for BNP Paribas and it continues to develop its franchise in the region.
* excluding partnerships
About Bank of Nanjing
Founded on February 8, 1996, the Bank of Nanjing is a joint-stock commercial bank with independent legal qualification which was formed together by the state-owner shares, Chinese legal personal shares, foreign shares and numerous personal shares. It is carried on the first grade corporation system and was renamed twice. In 2001 and 2005, our bank brought in shares of International Finance Corporation and BNP Paribas. It was the first to start listing assistance program in urban commercial banks nationwide and was successfully listed in 2007. Currently, the registered capital of the Bank of Nanjing is RMB 6.059 billion, with 17 branches, 161 outlets, and about 8,000 employees. Since our bank was first selected in the list of global 1,000 banks by the magazine –The Banker, the ranking was improved year after year. In 2016, Bank of Nanjing ranked the 152th and has been increased 49th from a year earlier. The strategic vision of Bank of Nanjing is to establish a first-rate comprehensive financial service provider in small and medium banks of China. It consistently insists on the powerful, precise and typical development road to obtain the steady and rapid growth of various businesses and management efficiency. With the intensive risk management and control, the quality of assets is kept steadily and the basic management keeps deepening.
About WAVE
Conceived and produced by BNP Paribas, WAVE is an inspirational exhibition and a forum for discussions and sharing. A manifesto of ingenuity 2.0, WAVE provides an opportunity to host a varied programme of events co-organised with the members of the local ecosystems: companies, startups and innovation networks. A wave of collective ingenuity is sweeping the world. Using numerous examples, WAVE explores the key currents on all five continents. To highlight the inventive and creative aspect of these innovations, WAVE has reached out to young artists: filmmakers from the Ecole des Gobelins and photographers and videographers from the Circulation(s) festival have illustrated these currents and examples.
WAVE Exhibition
For more details, please visit,
http://www.wave-innovation.com/
Alipay, the mobile payments solution operated by Ant Financial Services Group, today provides some 450 million active users in China with an entire range of financial services. Now, in order to stay in step with its app-holders visiting Europe, Alipay will cooperate among others with BNP Paribas, the European leader in Cash Management, so as to enable the 16 million Chinese tourists who travel outside Asia every year to pay for their purchases with their Alipay mobile app at all partnering stores. Initially available in France, this service will be progressively extended to the rest of Europe.
By partnering with Alipay, BNP Paribas is clearly demonstrating the Group’s determination both to provide every assistance to retailers looking to expand their sales and to be the bank for all innovative players.
“We’re excited to have BNP Paribas as one of our partners so as to enable Alipay users to pay with the app in even more locations and scenarios across Europe,” said Douglas Feagin, Senior Vice President of Ant Financial and President of Alipay International, underlining: “Our users’ lifestyles are increasingly global, so it’s vital that we’re able to work with the leading payment providers across the world to bring our trusted and convenient services to Alipay users wherever and whenever they need them.”
Pierre Fersztand, Global Head of Cash Management at BNP Paribas declared: “We’re delighted with this partnership with Alipay. It will enable us to continue providing our clients with innovative solutions so as to help them grow their sales.”
Paris, April 5th 2016– BNP Paribas Securities Services, a leading global custodian, and SmartAngels, the leading direct investment platform, have taken a major step forward in crowdfunding history by signing a strategic partnership for the use of Blockchain technology.
BNP Paribas Securities Services and SmartAngels will allow private companies to issue securities on the primary market and give investors access to the secondary market using Blockchain technology. The pilot scheme is due to be launched in the second half of 2016, subject to regulatory approvals.
A unique partnership with big ambitions: a major step forward for crowdfunding and the management of private share ownership
Under the partnership, BNP Paribas Securities Services is developing a share register that uses the Blockchain protocol, which will automatically register financial securities issued by SmartAngels’ client companies.
Investor payments will be processed immediately and e-certificates will be issued to them straight away. Financial transactions made via the platform will therefore be performed simply, quickly, securely and for a lower cost.
In a sector that is seeing sharp volume growth, SmartAngels’ clients will benefit on two levels. The solution will standardise the securities registration process, providing investors with additional IT and trade processing security. At the same time, the Blockchain platform operated by BNP Paribas will simplify the management of shareholders for issuers.
Philippe Ruault, Head of product for clearing, custody and settlement at BNP Paribas Securities Services, said: “By applying Blockchain technology in the crowdfunding sector, we will accelerate cash and securities flows by using e-certificates, and make them more secure. This is a major innovation for the custody and account-keeping of unlisted securities. It also provides BNP Paribas Securities Services with the opportunity to test a solution that could be applied to listed securities markets. The use of Blockchain is part of BNP Paribas’ digital strategy.”
Opening of the first secondary market for crowdfunding
The standardisation of transactions and the enhanced security provided by BNP Paribas Securities Services will also allow investors to trade their shares directly on the SmartAngels platform, creating a secondary market for companies registered with the platform. This will make crowdfunding investments much more liquid – an issue not given much attention in this sector until now.
The integration of Blockchain technology on the SmartAngels platform will accelerate the movement started by the crowdfunding pioneers several years ago, making it easier for start-ups and growth SMEs to access financing. It will reinforce SmartAngels’ lead in the equity crowdfunding market and confirms the advantages of its business model as a marketplace for direct investment. SmartAngels will further enhance the professionalism of the crowdfunding sector and will accelerate its transition to becoming an efficient capital market for private companies.
“At the moment, only a few thousand companies are listed on the financial markets in Europe. The integration of Blockchain on crowdfunding platforms will give hundreds of thousands of start-ups and growth SMEs fast access to low-cost financing from individual and professional investors,” explained Benoit Bazzocchi – founder of SmartAngels.
About BNP Paribas Securities Services
BNP Paribas Securities Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BNP Paribas Group, is a leading global custodian and securities services provider backed by the strength of the BNP Paribas Group. It provides multi asset post trade and asset servicing solutions for institutional participants in the investment cycle, from the buy-side and sell-side to corporates and issuers. Covering over 100 markets, offices in 34 countries, the BNP Paribas network is one of the most extensive in the industry. We bring together local insight and a global network to enable clients to maximize their market and investment opportunities worldwide.
BNP Paribas has been researching Blockchain technology since 2011 and is part of the R3 and CDC industry consortiums. The Group has also invested in Digital Asset Holdings and has organised several bizhackathons on Blockchain to understand how the technology can be applied to its business activities.
About SmartAngels
SmartAngels.fr is the leading crowdfunding platform in France for direct investment in the capital of start-ups and growth SMEs by individual and professional investors. As a pioneer of direct investment in non-listed companies, SmartAngels counts 20,000 registered members having invested €20 million in 35 companies since 2012.
Benoît Bazzocchi, chairman and founder of SmartAngels, is also chairman of AFIP (the French crowdfunding association) and a member of the board of directors of the association France FinTech.
SmartAngels has been approved as a Crowdfunding Investor Adviser (CIP) by the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) since February 2015.
Read SmartAngels’ latest news on www.smartangels.fr
BNP Paribas Securities Services has been appointed by AIA as its OTC derivatives operations provider in Hong Kong and Singapore. Under the mandate, BNP Paribas will provide trade management, collateral management and trade repository reporting in Hong Kong and Singapore.
AIA Regional Director of Investment Management – Operations, Kong Siew Cheong, said: “We have been impressed with the expertise and regulatory knowledge demonstrated by BNP Paribas Securities Services in implementing the OTC derivatives service solution for us. Each of our locations has its unique operational and regulatory challenges and the team is able to partner with us to find flexible and effective solutions”.
“The quality of the support we receive through BNP Paribas’ global operating model is excellent, and the commitment and professionalism of the project team is highly commendable.”
Philippe Benoit, Head of Asia Pacific at BNP Paribas Securities Services, said: “AIA is a leading insurer across Asia Pacific and we are delighted to be supporting such a high quality and forward-thinking business. We look forward to continuing the on-boarding process and partnering with them further in other service areas.”
AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively “AIA” or the “Group”) comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets in Asia-Pacific – wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, New Zealand, Macau, Brunei, a 97 per cent subsidiary in Sri Lanka, a 26 per cent joint venture in India and representative offices in Myanmar and Cambodia.
The business that is now AIA was first established in Shanghai almost a century ago. It is a market leader in the Asia-Pacific region (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$172 billion as of 31 May 2015.
7 January 2016 – BNP Paribas Investment Partners (“BNPP IP”), the asset management arm of BNP Paribas, and Orion Partners LP (“Orion Partners”), today announced a strategic partnership that brings together a leading Asia-focused alternative investment firm specialising in real estate and private equity, and a global key player in asset management.
Under the terms of the transaction, BNPP IP – through its alternative and incubation specialist BNP Paribas Capital Partners (“BNPP CP”) – will acquire a minority stake in a new partnership based in Hong Kong. Orion Partners will continue to operate under its existing leadership and remain independent in all its businesses and investment decisions.
Going forward, BNPP CP and Orion Partners plan to develop and launch new funds to meet growing client demand for Asia-focused alternative investment funds. BNPP IP and Orion Partners believe there is tremendous opportunity to provide these various alternative investment products to retail and institutional investors throughout the world using BNPP IP’s highly-regarded platform and global distribution capabilities and Orion Partners’ local specialist expertise.
Gilles Guerin, CEO of BNPP CP, commented: “The partnership with Orion Partners provides us with an excellent opportunity to broaden our exposure to fast growing alternative investment opportunities in Asia, managed by a leading Asian-based and Asian-focused firm. Having worked closely together for more than 10 years to develop and distribute some of their products to institutional investors across the globe, we value their expertise and excellence in the creation and protection of value for their clients.”
“Orion Partners has had a strong long-standing relationship with BNPP IP and it is the perfect partner to enhance our specialist alternative investment business through product innovation and access to premier international distribution channels,” said TK Chiang, Managing Partner and co-founder of Orion Partners.
Berkshire Capital Securities LLC served as advisor to Orion Partners in this transaction.
About BNP Paribas Investment Partners
BNP Paribas Investment Partners is the BNP Paribas Group’s asset management specialist and an entity of the International Financial Services division of BNP Paribas. BNP Paribas Investment Partners offers the full range of asset management services to both institutional and private investors around the world. The company adopts a client-focused approach and is structured around three business lines: Institutional, Distributors and Asia-Pacific & Emerging Markets. BNP Paribas Investment Partners has 3,000 employees in 35 countries, including around 700 investment professionals, each specialised in a particular asset class or product type, and has assets under management totaling EUR 509 billion1.
1Source: BNP Paribas Investment Partners, as at 30 September 2015, assets under management and advisory.
About BNP Paribas Capital Partners
BNP Paribas Capital Partners (“BNPP CP”) is the alternative investments selection and management specialist of BNP Paribas Investment Partners. Capabilities of BNPP CP include selection, management, administration and incubation of absolute return and private equity managers for institutional clients, corporates, private banks and high-net-worth individuals. BNPP CP has EUR 5 billion of assets under management, advisory and administration, as at 30 September 2015.
About Orion Partners
Orion Partners is an Asia-based, Asia-focused, independent alternative investment firm with over USD 1 billion in assets under management, as at 30 September 2015. Orion Partners was founded in 2000 and is one of Asia’s first multi-strategy investment firms with offices across the region. The firm’s highly experienced investment professionals manage real estate and private equity, and are developing infrastructure credit and hedge funds businesses – supported by a high quality client service, operations and administration team. Orion Partners’ client base includes leading institutional investors from across the globe, including pension funds, funds of funds, family offices and high net worth individuals. For more information on the firm, please visit www.orionpartners.com.
Yieh Phui (China) Technomaterial Co., Ltd. (“Yieh Phui (China)”), Yieh Phui Enterprise Co., Ltd.’s subsidiary in Mainland China, has recently obtained the registered approval from the National Association of Financial Market Institutional Investors to issue a maximum of RMB 600 million 1-year commercial paper (CP) in China’s interbank bond market for the next two years. This makes Yieh Phui Enterprise Co., Ltd. the first Taiwanese manufacturer to issue non-financial institution (FI) corporate debt financing instrument in Mainland China’s interbank bond market through its wholly-owned subsidiary onshore. BNP Paribas (China) Ltd will act as the sole financial adviser and CITIC Bank will be the sole underwriter.
According to Yongxian Chen, CFO of Yieh Phui Enterprise Co., Ltd., the issuer rating and bond rating of Yieh Phui (China) are both granted AA- by Shanghai Brilliance Credit Rating & Investors Services Co., Ltd., recognising the company’s financial and business performances. In particular, Yieh Phui (China) managed to achieve profits for six consecutive years, including record high profits in 2014, despite the challenging market environment in the past few years. Against the backdrop of the easing monetary policy in China and People’s Bank of China lowering interest rates and deposit ratio, Yieh Phui (China) will capitalise on the continued downward trend of the onshore financing interest cost to issue multiple tranche of CPs, so as to reduce the financing cost and diversify its financing channels.
CG Lai, Head of Global Markets, Greater China, BNP Paribas, said: “The transaction is a milestone for both Taiwanese corporates and China’s onshore bond market. It proves that the Chinese authorities are indeed committed to reform and are opening up the onshore interbank bond market to multinational enterprises as an additional financing platform for the enterprises to grow their business in China.”
Since the Renminbi reform on 11 August 2015, the offshore Renminbi debt markets have become quieter. On the other hand, many corporates begin to pay more attention to the onshore bond markets in China. By issuing non-FI corporate debt financing instruments in China amid the current low interest rate environment, corporates with subsidiaries in Mainland China not only can enjoy lower financing costs, but can also raise their visibility in the market.
According to China’s leading financial data provider, Wind Info, China is one of the world’s fastest growing bond markets. The issue size in China’s primary bond markets reached RMB 12 trillion in 2014, 33.7% up from 2013, in which corporate-related bonds accounted for RMB 5.5 trillion. So far in 2015, the total amount of bond issuance is already close to RMB 18 trillion, far exceeding the total amount in 2014, making China one of the most important bond markets in the world.