MUFG today announces the appointment of Takanori (Taka) Sazaki to Regional Executive for EMEA, with John Winter taking on the additional role of Head of the UK for MUFG Bank.* John, who joined MUFG on 1 April as Chief Executive Officer of MUFG Securities EMEA and Head of Global Corporate and Investment Banking for the region, is the first non-Japanese to hold this position. In his expanded role, John will also be responsible for the full operations of MUFG Bank's London platform and will work closely with Taka in this regard.
Taka was formerly Deputy Regional Executive for EMEA, a position he has held since July 2018. He takes over from Masahiro Kuwahara who has assumed his new role as Group Chief Risk Officer, based in Tokyo. As Regional Executive, Taka will be responsible for safety, soundness and governance, and will support strategies and business plans in the region. Taka has worked for the firm for over 30 years across Asia, the US and EMEA. He has broad experience in investment banking, with a particular focus on M&A and Capital Markets, and significant experience in governance matters.
Commenting on his appointment, Taka Sazaki said:
"This is an exciting time to take up the Regional Executive position in EMEA. We have seen some of the biggest changes in financial services across the political and regulatory environment in Europe recently, and as MUFG progresses its ambition to build a leading position in this region, ensuring we serve clients well from a governance perspective will take on even more importance."
With a career spanning over 30 years in financial services, with senior roles at some of the largest banks globally, John is well placed to take on this additional role.
Commenting on his expanded role, John Winter said:
"Already I am seeing some tangible opportunities for MUFG to strengthen its foothold in EMEA and make better use of its outstanding platform in Asia and the U.S. We have an enviable client base on which to build and some of the best talent to support that push."
* Appointments effective 15th May subject to necessary regulatory approvals.