BNP Paribas USA

ABOUT THIS COMPANY:

Leader of the pack

BNP Paribas is the largest bank in France and the fifth largest in the world based on annual revenue.  In 2008, BNP Paribas was named Global Bank of the Year by The Banker magazine, the eighth safest bank in the world by Global Finance and the 13th-largest company in the world by Forbes.  In 2009, Brand Finance named BNP Paribas the world’s eighth top banking brand.  In addition to enviably strong European operations, the banking powerhouse has a solid and growing international presence, spanning 83 countries, with strong operations in both the United States and Asia. The banking group’s total employee network worldwide boasts approximately 183,700  employees, most of which work in Europe.  BNP Paribas can trace its roots back to the early 1800s, though the modern day version of the bank began to take form in 1966, when Comptoir National d’Escompte de Paris and Banque Nationale pour le Commerce et l’Industrie united to form Banque National de Paris (BNP).  The Paribas Group was formed in 1988 after many (notorious) years of French nationalization and reorganization; the group included the Banque Paribas, compagnie Financiere de Paribas and Compagnie Bancaire.  In 1999, after the French financial markets authorities gave BNP the green light, it took control of the Paribas Group, creating one of the largest financial institutions in Europe.  (In case you’re curious, Paribas comes from the phrase “Paris et Pays-Bas,” which means “Paris and The Netherlands.”).