KUALA LUMPUR (Apr 8): French banking and financial services group BNP Paribas has appointed Philippe Aroyo as the head of country for Malaysia and chief executive officer (CEO) of BNP Paribas Malaysia Bhd, effective today.

In a statement, BNP Paribas said Aroyo will be taking over the role from Krishna Chetti, who will be taking on a new position in the group.

“BNP Paribas has grown significantly in Malaysia under Krishna Chetti’s leadership in the last eight years. The bank obtained a licence in 2011 to open a subsidiary that has grown significantly since, thanks to Krishna's dedicated efforts in particular.

“Meanwhile, we are pleased to welcome Philippe Aroyo to Asia, which is a key region for the group. We are confident that under Philippe’s leadership, BNP Paribas will pursue its current expansion and bring the business in Malaysia to new heights,” said Pierre Veyres, regional head of Southeast Asia and CEO of BNP Paribas Singapore.

Philippe first joined BNP Paribas as a senior economist, and moved on to join Inspection Generale where he was promoted to head of audit teams. He held senior positions in India and Senegal before being appointed head of country for Kuwait in 2002.

Subsequently, he was appointed as the head of country for United Arab Emirates prior to his appointment as head of country for Malaysia.