BNP Paribas adding top talent into its Investment Banking business

Ari Mäkelä joins BNP Paribas as Vice Chairman Investment Banking & Industrials in the Nordic region. Ari, who joins from a position as Co-Head of Nordic Investment Banking at Citigroup, will have a special focus on Finland and European industrials. “In addition to Ari’s standing in the Finnish market, we have had a strong business growth in the Nordics during the last couple of years.” says Eirik Winter, CEO for BNP Paribas Group Nordic region.

Ari Mäkelä is well-known within Investment Banking in the Nordic region, and has extensive experience across sectors and a long list of landmark transactions. He started his career at McKinsey and has worked for several leading investment banks since then. Ari has been focused on investment banking across the Nordics with a focus on Finland for over twenty years.

Ari Mäkelä comments -
“BNP Paribas position as a global European banking partner is more relevant than ever. Clients are increasingly looking for a strong long-term banking partner with a deep knowledge of local markets, global reach and a full-service offering. I have been impressed by the momentum of BNP Paribas and feel very excited to join the team with such high growth aspirations.“

Eirik Winter, CEO of BNP Paribas Group Nordic region, comments-
“In addition to Ari’s standing in the Finnish market, we have had a strong business growth in the Nordics during the last couple of years. The geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and inflation have made a challenging start of the year for many companies. At the same time, these challenges, together with technological development and the transition to net-zero, is driving evolution of business models. We are very happy to have Ari on-board to strengthen our team further and advise our clients on their journey ahead.”

Ari joins BNP Paribas in September and will be based in Stockholm and Helsinki.

BNP Paribas is one of the largest bank globally and the global bank with the strongest presence on the ground in the Nordic region. In the last three years, BNP Paribas has doubled revenues with the region’s clients and hired almost 200 people in the Nordic region. Today the group has over 900 people in the region across Corporate and Institutional Banking, Personal Finance, Asset Management, Insurance, Factoring, Car Fleet Management and Leasing.

BNP Paribas global leadership in Sustainable Finance is reflected in several rankings: in 2021 alone, the Dealogic financial market platform ranked BNP Paribas no.2 worldwide for ESG loans and green bonds, and no.1 in Europe. Euromoney has named BNP Paribas as the World’s Best Bank for Sustainable Finance.

About BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 70 countries and has nearly 200,000 employees, including nearly 150,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking & Services for the Group’s commercial & personal banking and several specialised businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval ; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions ; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporate and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated commercial & personal banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Turkey, Eastern Europe as well as via a large network in the western part of the United States. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific.

In the Nordic region, BNP Paribas employs 900 people across CIB, Asset Management, Personal Finance, Car Fleet Management, Leasing, Factoring and Insurance, with offices in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The Nordic Region is strategically important to BNP Paribas. We have a long-term commitment in all the Nordic countries. We have and will continue to make considerable investments in the region, both in terms of capital and in people. Our ambition is to be the leading Global European bank with international reach for our clients in the region.