BNP Paribas Corporate and Investment Banking Restructures Management of Global Equities and Commodity Derivatives for the Americas

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - February 23, 2009) - BNP Paribas Corporate and Investment Banking has named Lionel Crassier Head of Global Equities and Commodity Derivatives (GECD) for the Americas, based out of New York.

Lionel has been with BNP Paribas for over 15 years and has held senior positions in Tokyo and Paris where he was Deputy Global Head of Trading and Structuring before moving to New York where he was appointed Head of EQD Trading and Structuring. Lionel will be assisted by two deputies: Tom Mahoney, currently COO of GECD Americas and Aaron Ford, Head of Equity Sales for the Americas.

According to Yann Gerardin, Global Head of GECD, "BNP Paribas is one of the world's leading equities and commodity derivatives houses. We are committed to this business and to the Americas, which is a critical part of our global platform. We are enthusiastic about the new management structure and feel that this team positions us well for continued leadership in the new market regime."

Lionel replaces Todd Steinberg, formerly head of Global Equities and Commodity Derivatives, who has resigned from the Bank.

About BNP Paribas Corporate and Investment Banking

BNP Paribas Corporate and Investment banking division (http://cib.bnpparibas.com/) has almost 16,000 employees, deployed in 53 countries around the world. BNP Paribas CIB excels in three fundamental sectors in particular:

Derivatives -- it is one of the leading global players in rates, credit, forex, commodity and equity derivatives.

Capital markets -- it is amongst the top ten Euro houses for both ECM and DCM (bond issues, securitization, convertibles and shares).

Structured finance -- it is amongst the world leaders for acquisition, export, project and commodity finance.

About BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) is a European leader in global banking and financial services and is one of the 6 strongest banks in the world according to Standard & Poor's. The group is present in 85 countries, with more than 171,000 employees, including 131,000 in Europe and 15,000 in the United States. The group holds key positions in three major segments: Corporate and Investment Banking, Asset Management & Services and Retail Banking. Present throughout Europe in all of its business lines, the bank's two domestic markets in retail banking are France and Italy. BNP Paribas also has a significant presence in the United States and strong positions in Asia and the emerging markets.

Contact Information: Press contacts: Edwina Frawley-Gangahar Media Relations New York +212-841-3719 Kerrie McHugh Media Relations New York +212-841-3809