ABN AMRO announced on 10 January 2025 that it had reached agreement with Marguerite Bérard to appoint her as its new chief executive officer, with the appointment subject to clearance from the European Central Bank and to notification of the bank's annual general meeting on 23 April 2025. Bérard will succeed Robert Swaak, who is departing after five years in the role.
ECB sign-off on senior appointments at significant European banking institutions is a mandatory step under the Single Supervisory Mechanism.
A LEADERSHIP TRANSITION AFTER FIVE YEARS
Robert Swaak became ABN AMRO's chief executive in 2020. The bank was nationalised by the Dutch state following the 2008 financial crisis and returned partially to private ownership through a 2015 stock-market listing.
The Dutch state retains a shareholding in ABN AMRO through its investment vehicle NLFI.
ABN AMRO is headquartered in Amsterdam and operates primarily in the Netherlands, with a corporate and institutional banking franchise that extends across Europe and into select international markets.
SHAREHOLDER AND REGULATORY PROCESS
Bérard is to be introduced to ABN AMRO's general meeting of shareholders on 23 April 2025. Under ABN AMRO's governance the general meeting is notified of the intended appointment rather than voting on it.
ECB approval of the appointment, conducted under the fit and proper assessment framework applied to significant institutions in the eurozone, evaluates the candidate's experience, integrity, and suitability for the specific role. The appointment remains conditional until ECB approval is secured.
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