ANZ appoints Kiseok Kim as CEO Korea
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) today announced the appointment of Kiseok Kim as CEO in Korea.
Mr Kim joins ANZ from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he was most recently Managing Director, Branch Manager & Head of Global Markets for Korea. He will report jointly to Gilles Planté, CEO North East Asia, Europe & America, and Sameer Sawhney, Managing Director, Corporate & Institutional Banking and Private Bank, Asia Pacific.
Commenting on the appointment, Mr Planté said: “Kiseok is a highly respected banker with a strong background in global markets and extensive experience in building a business in Korea. We are delighted to welcome him at a time when we are looking to significantly grow our Institutional business in Korea.
“Korea is Asia’s fourth-largest economy with deep ties in intra-regional trade and investment. It is also Australia's fourth-largest trading partner with two-way trade worth A$25.8 billion in 2010. Korea is a key export market for Australian minerals, energy and travel and education services, and Australia is a major import market for Korean passenger vehicles, petroleum, and electronic goods and parts.
“We are investing in Korea to support the domestic requirements of our Korean customers, including financial institutions and multinational corporations, and connect them to our network and expertise across Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America,” Mr Planté said.
Mr Kim, 42, will start with ANZ Korea on 1 October subject to regulatory approvals and will be based in Seoul.
“I would like to thank H.J. Kim, who is leaving ANZ on 30 September to pursue new interests after three years as Korea CEO. I wish him well for the next chapter in his career,” Mr Planté said.
ANZ’s growth in Korea is focused on building its Institutional customer base, expanding its product offering in Global Markets, Transaction Banking and Specialised Lending, and leveraging its regional connectivity, with operations in 28 Asia Pacific markets.
ANZ opened a branch in Seoul in 1978 and is committed to further investment in Korea, which has more than A$800 billion of annual global trade and is a rapidly growing financial services hub in North East Asia.