Fernando Vicario, CEO of Bank of America Europe DAC, and Country Executive for Ireland appointed Chair of the Federation of International Banks in Ireland
Fernando Vicario, CEO of Bank of America Europe DAC and Country Executive for Ireland has been appointed Chair of the Federation of International Banks in Ireland (FIBI) for a two-year tenure. FIBI is the international banking division of Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) and is the representative body for international banking and investment firms in Ireland, representing over 30 member organisations, comprising many of the world’s leading global banks and investment firms. Collectively they employ over 14,200 people in Ireland.
A native of Pforzheim, Germany and a Spanish national, Fernando has worked for Bank of America (BofA) for over 25 years. He has held multiple roles, including head of Corporate Banking for Financial Institutions in Europe and Emerging Markets (ex-Asia), head of EMEA Global Product Solutions, head of EMEA and Latin America Corporate Banking and co-head of EMEA Debt Capital Markets and Corporate Banking.
Fernando sits on the EMEA regional executive committee, the global Diversity & Inclusion committee (D&I) of BofA and co-chairs the EMEA environmental, social and governance (ESG) Strategic Council. Fernando is also a member of the Board of the Open Doors Initiative in Dublin.
On taking up his new role, Fernando said: “I am honoured to have been selected as the Chair of FIBI at a time of opportunity for international banks and investment firms in Ireland. FIBI has become the voice of the sector and was a key driver in the establishment of the Central Bank of Ireland’s Financial Industry Forum. While the sector has grown steadily over the past decades, we have seen Ireland punching above its weight within the European Union and internationally. Ireland is an established hub for many banks servicing the European market; ranked as the 6th largest exporter of financial services in the world and the 19th largest international banking sector globally. International banks in Ireland are also contributing substantially to employment across the country with over 14,200 people employed at the end of 2022.”
Fernando continued: “It is a priority of mine to promote further accessibility, cultural diversity and female leadership within the sector. We need to leverage diverse views and experiences in order to foster innovation, generate new developments and to continue to attract top talent in a competitive market. We look forward to working collaboratively with the Government in the development of its international financial services strategy so that Ireland remains a key financial centre.”
Fiona Gallagher, CEO Wells Fargo Bank International and outgoing Chair of FIBI said: “It is a privilege to hand-over the Chair to Fernando. The International Banking sector is going from strength to strength, and we are focused on making Ireland the sustainable banking hub for Europe. With Fernando’s passion, drive and focus on diversity and inclusion, the Federation of International Banks is extremely well-positioned to deliver our key goals.”
ENDS
Note: Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) represents the banking, payments and fintech sector in Ireland. Together with its affiliates, the Federation of International Banks in Ireland, and the Fintech & Payments Association of Ireland, BPFI has over 125 member institutions and associates, including licensed domestic and foreign banks and institutions operating in the financial marketplace here.Contact: Fiona Murphy, Head of Communications, 087 9740046, fiona.murphy@bpfi.ie or Jillian Heffernan, Director of Communications, 087 9016880, jillian.heffernan@bpfi.ie
