SWIFT revamps APAC relationship management organisation, appoints Patrick de Courcy deputy CE

According to a statement, SWIFT is maintaining its strategic programmes in greater China, India and ASEAN, while investing more staff in its core competency of supporting the backbone of the financial industry – market infrastructures – not just in mature and growing economies but also in frontier markets.

Alain Raes, Chief Executive, Asia Pacific & EMEA, SWIFT, says: “These changes also allow us to more efficiently support the growth of the Asia Pacific financial services sector and the corporates it serves by bringing more members into our community. After all, it’s the capillarity of SWIFT – the fact that we connect more than 10,000 members around the world – that ensures that the world’s money can flow where it is needed, when it is needed.”

Patrick de Courcy is named Deputy Chief Executive, Asia Pacific, in addition to maintaining his role as Head of Markets & Initiatives, Asia Pacific. He is also Acting Head of Sales, Asia Pacific until that position is filled. Beth Smits, Head of Public Affairs & Communications, Asia Pacific and Anand Bindumadhavan, Head of Services & Support, Asia Pacific, also report to Mr Raes.

The relationship management organisation has been revamped to focus on geographic areas, with greater emphasis on ASEAN markets, and reinforces SWIFT’s on-the-ground presence in eight offices across the region:

· Michael Cheung, Head of Greater China, oversees Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan;

· Yuriko Irie takes on the role of Head of Japan and Korea;

· Arun Tiwari is Head of Indian Subcontinent;

· Zelda Anthony becomes Head of ASEAN;

· Bill Doran, Head of Oceania, runs Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands;

· Tracy Tam, Head of Commercial Services, Asia Pacific, leads the commercial and office administrative team, which has specialists in each sub-regional office; and

· A new Alternative Sales Channels team, based in the SWIFT Kuala Lumpur Corporate Services Centre, will be created to identify and on-board new members.

Patrick de Courcy comments: “SWIFT is part of the fabric of Asia Pacific’s infrastructure, directly supporting the ambitions that Asia Pacific economies have set for themselves. We are enabling the internationalisation of the RMB, helping define the roadmap for ASEAN financial integration, supporting the development of domestic markets and facilitating trade and investment flows within the region and with the rest of the world. As such, we are dedicated to ensuring a strong, secure and scalable financial system in Asia Pacific that will support the real economic growth of this dynamic region.”

SWIFT has been in Asia Pacific for over 30 years, starting in Hong Kong and Singapore. Three regional offices have been opened in Asia since 2005, bringing the total to eight commercial and support offices including our customer support centres in Hong Kong and Tokyo, as well as an Operational Central Control Centre and the Kuala Lumpur global hub, opened in March 2013.