BNP Paribas appoints Isabelle Mateos y Lago as Chief Economist
Isabelle Mateos y Lago is appointed BNP Paribas Chief Economist from 3 September 2024, replacing William de Vijlder, current BNP Paribas Chief Economist since 2014, who will be retiring in a few months’ time.
Isabelle, previously Chief Markets Strategist at BlackRock, reports to Lars Machenil, the Group’s Chief Financial Officer. William will take on the role of Economic Adviser to the Group’s General Management, reporting to Lars Machenil.
Isabelle Mateos y Lago brings a wealth of experience in economics, finance and geopolitics gained throughout her international career at leading financial institutions in France, the United States and the United Kingdom. Isabelle will continue to reinforce the Economic Research Unit’s crucial role supporting the Group’s business lines and its clients, and develop new initiatives to ensure that BNP Paribas continues to benefit from cutting-edge economic research.
Throughout his career, William de Vijlder has provided the Group with in-depth economic analysis, helping to guide our strategic decisions and enabling us to better understand and anticipate global economic cycles. Under his leadership, BNP Paribas’ Economic Research department has developed considerably, consolidating its essential advisory role for the Group and its ability to offer solutions that meet the needs of our business lines and our clients in terms of economic research.
“I would like to express my deep gratitude to William for his many years of service to BNP Paribas. His commitment to high-quality economic analysis and his ability to analyse global trends have been invaluable assets for the Bank. Through his many publications and public speeches, William has offered enlightened perspectives to our clients and partners, while helping to raise the international profile of Economic Studies, making it an important asset in the service of our reputation. I am delighted that Isabelle is joining the BNP Paribas project and I wish her every success in her new role ” said Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas.
“I am delighted to welcome Isabelle to BNP Paribas and look forward to working with her in the future. Her in-depth and wide-ranging economic expertise, as well as her first-rate international experience, will be invaluable assets in nurturing our relationships with our clients and partners around the world and continuing to support the Group’s ability to navigate in an often complex and constantly changing environment” said Lars Machenil, Group Chief Financial Officer.
***
Isabelle Mateos y Lago has over 25 years’ experience in international economics, finance and public policy. She began her career in France at the Inspection Générale des Finances before joining the IMF, where she held key positions in the Asia, Europe and Strategy departments, before serving as advisor to the Executive Board under Christine Lagarde until 2014. She joined BlackRock in 2015 and was Chief Macro Investment Strategist at the BlackRock Investment Institute and then Chief Markets Strategist in the Financial and Strategic Investors Group until 2024.
Isabelle Mateos y Lago earned degrees from Sciences Po Paris (Institut d’études politiques de Paris) and Cambridge University (Economics) and is an alumna of the ENA (Ecole Nationale d’Administration).
William de Vijlder has been Chief Economist of BNP Paribas Group since 2014. He previously held the position of Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at Fortis Investments, before joining BNP Paribas Investment Partners in 2010 as CIO Strategy and Partners and member of the Executive Committee. William began his career in 1987 in the Economic Research Department of Générale de Banque, before joining the Asset Management Department in 1989 as head of investment strategy.
William de Vijlder holds a PhD in Economics from Ghent University (Belgium), where he has taught since 1991 as a lecturer and then professor.
Barclays appoints Gabriel Casillas as the new Chief Economist for Latin America
Barclays is pleased to announce the appointment of Gabriel Casillas as the new Chief Economist for Latin America. Mr. Casillas will be based in New York and will focus on driving Barclays’ economic research across Latin America, in addition to covering the Mexican economy. He will report to Christian Keller, Head of Economics Research.
Mr. Casillas joins Barclays from Grupo Financiero Banorte, where he was Chief Economist and Head of Investor Relations and ESG. He has over 15 years of experience in the industry and previously worked at J.P. Morgan and UBS as Chief Economist for Mexico and Chile, as well as at the central bank of Mexico in different divisions.
“We are delighted to welcome Gabriel to Barclays and to our Global Research franchise,” says Ajay Rajadhyaksha, Head of Macro Research. “Gabriel’s appointment underscores our commitment to investing in top level talent and we are confident our clients will benefit from his insights and expertise, as well as his diverse experience in the economic and financial sectors.”
Mr. Casillas is also chair of the National Committee of Economic Research at the Mexican Institute of Finance Executives and a member of the Economic Advisory Committee at the Institute of International Finance.
Sandra Phlippen new Chief Economist at ABN AMRO
Sandra Phlippen has been appointed ABN AMRO’s new Chief Economist with effect from 1 December. In her new role, Sandra will also replace Han de Jong as head of the Group Economics department.
Erasmus University
Sandra currently heads the Netherlands section of ABN AMRO Group Economics and is also a university lecturer at Erasmus School of Economics in Rotterdam. Before joining ABN AMRO, Sandra was chief economist at Dutch daily newspaper Algemeen Dagblad and prior to that she was editor-in-chief of economics journal ESB. In 2008, Sandra acquired a PhD in economics at Erasmus University’s Tinbergen Institute. Sandra Phlippen commented: “It is an honour to be Han’s successor as Chief Economist. I look forward to working with the team to further shape the department’s role as an economic think tank for the bank and for society.”
Passionate economist
“Sandra is an energetic and passionate economist. She is commended for her innovative ideas and her ability to translate complex economic issues into everyday practice. We’re convinced that these attributes, combined with her strong leadership qualities, make her the right candidate for this pivotal position at ABN AMRO,” said Rintse Zijlstra, whose responsibilities at ABN AMRO include Strategy and Group Economics.
Grateful to Han de Jong
Sandra will succeed Han de Jong, who has been the bank’s Chief Economist over the past 14 years. “Han led the Group Economics department for many years and set out the bank’s economic vision with his team,” Rintse Zijlstra remarked. “He has a long track record and is much respected in the market. We are very grateful to him for his contribution to the bank.”
Proud
Han de Jong: “I look back at my career at ABN AMRO with great satisfaction. As team, we’ve built up a strong position for Group Economics within the bank and in the market, and I’m very proud of that. At the same time, I’m also looking forward to what’s in store for me when I leave the at the end of this year. I will most certainly keep close tabs on developments in my profession.”