BNP Paribas thinks it has an image problem. But Adrian Boehler, less than two-months into his tenure as global head of institutional sales at the French bank, says he likes what he sees.
The former HSBC and Goldman Sachs man arrived at BNP’s International headquarters in London’s Marylebone late last year and claims to be impressed by the depth and scale of France’s leading bank’s FX offering.
“But that said, what impresses me less is the fact that what we have to offer is too well-kept a secret,” says Boehler.
But that is a problem he has been hired to address.
“My observation is that the sales force does not always appreciate the extent to which they have everything they need,” says Boehler. “They are very proficient at selling parts of the organisation they are familiar with, and the challenge I will be presenting to my global sales force is to make sure they are aware of everything we have from A to Z.”
As a competitor for 17 years, he is in a good position to judge the external perception of BNP. From the outside, he says, the bank is seen primarily as a quantitative or derivative house.