Bank expansion through added personnel: Four new appointments at Crown Agents Bank
Crown Agents Bank, a financial institution specialising in emerging and fragile markets, primarily in Africa, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia, has announced four new senior appointments as part of its strategy to grow its capabilities and expand its services.
Simon Harris, a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in credit risk, particularly in Africa and Asia, has been appointed as non-executive chair of the credit risk committee at Crown Agents Bank. Harris will oversee the bank's credit risk policies, principles, procedures, and portfolios, ensuring a robust and responsible approach to risk management.
In a significant move, Duarte Pedreira has been appointed as the head of the trade finance department. Pedreira, known for his extensive experience in trade finance, previously held roles at AIG, Caspian Sea Capital, and Standard Bank in Africa. However, it is unclear if Pedreira has any role in Crown Agents Bank's trade finance department beyond his new appointment, as there is no information linking him directly to the bank in this capacity.
Colin Westlake, with over 38 years of experience at Standard Chartered Bank, most recently as head of network banks Europe, has been appointed as the sector head of commercial banks at Crown Agents Bank. Westlake will lead the bank's efforts to link commercial banks within emerging markets to major money centres.
Paul Nolan, who brings 30 years of experience from Citi and Northern Trust, has joined Crown Agents Bank as the money laundering reporting officer and head of the anti-financial crime team. Nolan's responsibilities will include all aspects of anti-financial crime, including fraud, anti-bribery, and corruption.
These appointments come as Crown Agents Bank aims to continue its expansion and enhance its services to existing and new clients during a time of widespread retreat from emerging markets by mainstream banks. The bank aims to strengthen its reputation in these markets and provide a reliable and responsible service to governments, NGOs, financial institutions, and corporate and commercial enterprises.
The appointments are a testament to Crown Agents Bank's commitment to building a strong and experienced team to meet the challenges and opportunities of operating in emerging markets. The bank is bringing in four senior leaders to its London-based trade finance, commercial, credit risk, and anti-financial crime teams.
[1] https://www.itfa.org/about-itfa/itfa-board-of-directors/ [2] https://www.tf-cop.org/about-us/tf-cop-task-force/
- Crown Agents Bank, focusing on emerging markets like Africa, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia, is bolstering its trade finance capabilities by appointing Duarte Pedreira, an experienced professional with extensive trade finance background from AIG, Caspian Sea Capital, and Standard Bank in Africa, as the head of its trade finance department.
- Simon Harris, a seasoned credit risk professional with over 30 years of experience, primarily in Africa and Asia, has been appointed as non-executive chair of the credit risk committee at Crown Agents Bank. His role includes overseeing the bank's credit risk policies, ensuring a robust and responsible approach to risk management.
- As part of its strategy to grow its services, Crown Agents Bank has recruited Paul Nolan, a veteran with 30 years of experience from Citi and Northern Trust, to lead its anti-financial crime team. Nolan's responsibilities include all aspects of anti-financial crime, such as fraud, anti-bribery, and corruption. These appointments reflect the bank's commitment to building a strong team to meet the challenges and opportunities of operating in emergent markets.
