BNP Paribas has named Julien Kasparian as its new head of securities services for Hong Kong, replacing Stéphanie Marelle who will relocate to Paris.
Kasparian has been with BNP Paribas for almost 20 years, occupying senior roles in Paris and London during his tenure, most recently as head of UK sales and relationship management for banks and broker dealers.
In Hong Kong he will lead its securities services team, with a focus on deepening relationships with new and existing clients.
“The Hong Kong office has experienced tremendous growth in recent years and I look forward to working with the team to help our clients succeed,” said Kasparian.
“Ensuring a great client experience and continuing our digital transformation remain my top priorities and I look forward to the challenge of growing our leadership positions in Hong Kong.”
Kasparian’s predecessor, Marelle, has switched to BNP Paribas’ Paris office, to take up a new role as global head of compliance for securities services.
Under her leadership, BNP Paribas signed a number of high profile custody deals, and established itself as the largest third-party clearer in Hong Kong.
Earlier this year, it was appointed by Harvest Global Investments to provide access to the Mutual Recognition of Funds (MRF) scheme between Hong Kong and Switzerland.
The fund manager which primarily invests in China, has become the first to qualify for the scheme, having been granted approval from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority.