BNP Paribas: Sarah Roussel is appointed Group Head of Human Resources
Sarah Roussel, previously Chief Executive Officer of Arval France, has been appointed Group Head of Human Resources of BNP Paribas and will succeed Sofia Merlo, who is set to retire, on 1 July 2026. Sarah will join the Group Executive Committee and will report to Philippe Maillard, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of BNP Paribas Group.
In the context of ongoing transformation of the bank’s business lines and continued development of the Group, Sarah Roussel will be tasked with helping to build the implementation framework for the Group’s next strategic plan. She will work closely with the teams across business lines, countries and functions to support the Group’s 180,000 employees.
“I would like to pay tribute to Sofia’s remarkable career and thank her for her more than forty years of commitment to the Group, across her various positions and in her role as Head of Human Resources. Each time, she has driven development and transformation policies that have contributed to BNP Paribas’ success. Sarah brings a wide‑ranging experience that will enable us to continue this momentum and support all our business lines, countries and functions. Together with Philippe Maillard, we are delighted to see Sarah take on these new responsibilities and join the Group Executive Committee,” commented Jean‑Laurent Bonnafé, Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas.
A graduate of ESSEC Business School with an MBA from INSEAD, Sarah Roussel began her career in 1994 within BNP Paribas’ General Inspection. Following her role in Group Financial Management, she was appointed Chief Financial Officer of CIB in London in 2011, before becoming Head of Management Control for the CIB division and, in 2015, Chief Financial Officer of the Domestic Markets division. She then served as CEO of BNP Paribas Factor France and the Iberian countries until 2022, when she was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Arval France, a Group subsidiary specialising in mobility solutions and long‑term vehicle leasing. In this role, she significantly strengthened Arval France’s position in the market.
Everest Appoints Christopher Kujawa as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Everest Group, Ltd., a global underwriting leader providing world-class reinsurance and specialty insurance solutions, announced that Christopher Kujawa has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, effective January 20, 2026. Mr. Kujawa will report to Jim Williamson, President and CEO and will serve on Everest’s Executive Leadership Team.
He succeeds Gail Van Beveren, Interim Chief Human Resources Officer, who will remain with the Company for a brief transition to ensure continuity.
Mr. Kujawa brings more than 25 years of global human resources leadership and transformation experience at publicly traded and private organizations across financial services and technology-enabled business services. Most recently, he served as Chief Human Resources Officer of Conduent Incorporated, a publicly traded global technology and services company, where he partnered closely with the CEO and Board during a period of significant organizational change.
“Chris is an exceptional addition to our senior leadership team, with a proven record of elevating leadership, talent, and organizational performance in complex organizations,” said Jim Williamson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Everest. “He brings a collaborative and inclusive leadership style and a clear ability to strengthen culture in direct support of disciplined execution, which will be instrumental as Everest enters its next chapter focused on sustained profitability and long-term value creation.”
At Conduent, Mr. Kujawa led the company’s global HR function and played a key role in redesigning the HR operating model, modernizing systems and analytics, and supporting executive leadership, governance, and workforce strategy. Prior, he held senior Human Resources leadership roles at American Express and Ally Financial, where he led organizational effectiveness internationally and supported large-scale corporate restructuring.
Mr. Kujawa holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from South Dakota State University.