BNP Paribas adding top talent into its Investment Banking business

Ari Mäkelä joins BNP Paribas as Vice Chairman Investment Banking & Industrials in the Nordic region. Ari, who joins from a position as Co-Head of Nordic Investment Banking at Citigroup, will have a special focus on Finland and European industrials. “In addition to Ari’s standing in the Finnish market, we have had a strong business growth in the Nordics during the last couple of years.” says Eirik Winter, CEO for BNP Paribas Group Nordic region.

Ari Mäkelä is well-known within Investment Banking in the Nordic region, and has extensive experience across sectors and a long list of landmark transactions. He started his career at McKinsey and has worked for several leading investment banks since then. Ari has been focused on investment banking across the Nordics with a focus on Finland for over twenty years.

Ari Mäkelä comments –
“BNP Paribas position as a global European banking partner is more relevant than ever. Clients are increasingly looking for a strong long-term banking partner with a deep knowledge of local markets, global reach and a full-service offering. I have been impressed by the momentum of BNP Paribas and feel very excited to join the team with such high growth aspirations.“

Eirik Winter, CEO of BNP Paribas Group Nordic region, comments-
“In addition to Ari’s standing in the Finnish market, we have had a strong business growth in the Nordics during the last couple of years. The geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and inflation have made a challenging start of the year for many companies. At the same time, these challenges, together with technological development and the transition to net-zero, is driving evolution of business models. We are very happy to have Ari on-board to strengthen our team further and advise our clients on their journey ahead.”

Ari joins BNP Paribas in September and will be based in Stockholm and Helsinki.