3 September 2021 – MUFG Bank (Europe) N.V. (MBE) has appointed Harm Bots as Deputy President and Chief Business Officer for Global Corporate and Investment Banking (GCIB) and Global Markets, effective 1 October 2021, subject to required regulatory approval.
The Chief Business Officer is a new role which has been established to drive growth of MBE's non-Japanese businesses. Generating profitable growth across EMEA is one of MUFG's four strategic pillars in the region, and requires the full utilisation of MUFG's global network. Harm will report to Hideaki Takase, President of MBE and functionally to John Winter, CEO for EMEA, and Philip Roberts, Head of GCIB for EMEA.
As Deputy President, Harm will also add valuable support to the broader development and safety and soundness of MBE's business and play a key leadership role in progressing its culture initiatives.
Harm is a highly experienced figure in the banking sector. He started his career with ABN AMRO and worked in a variety of senior positions at RBS and later NatWest Group, including roles in the Netherlands, the UK, Japan and Malaysia. In his recent role at NatWest, Harm was responsible for setting up NatWest Markets N.V. as a new European bank as a result of Brexit. Harm has been the CEO of NatWest Markets N.V. since 2017 and has grown the bank, turning it into a successful, profitable and well-controlled corporate and institutional business with a strong presence across Europe.
Harm Bots commented:
"MUFG is one of the top five banks globally, with a clear ambition to invest, develop and grow its business across EMEA. I see tremendous opportunity to connect European clients to MUFG's global network and position MBE as a key platform for the business. I am truly excited to be joining MUFG at this important point in time during its transformation and to further grow and develop the European business."
Wietze Reehoorn, Chairman of MUFG Bank Europe's Supervisory Board, commented:
"I have come to know Harm as a charismatic and energetic leader who empowers those around him to accomplish their goals. Additionally, the appointment of a Management Board member with direct oversight of non-Japanese business lines will facilitate a sharper focus on MBE's revenue drivers, which are critical to its success."