American Banker today named Bank of the West and BNP Paribas Leaders to "The Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance" Awards

SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, the Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance recognizes the professional achievements and influence of the top-performing female executives in banking and financial services. Bank of the West and BNP Paribas are proud to announce that Nandita Bakhshi, President & CEO of Bank of the West and Co-CEO of BNP Paribas USA, along with several leaders within the Bank, were recognized by American Banker's "Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance" awards. Named as number four of 25 to "The Most Powerful Women in Banking," Bakhshi joins a group of outstanding women who are exemplary in leading their institutions within the industry.

Bakhshi is joined by Michelle Di Gangi, Executive Vice President and Head of Small- and Medium-Size Enterprise Banking for Bank of the West, named to American Banker's "Women to Watch" list, and Claudine Gallagher, Head of BNP Paribas Securities Services Americas, named as one of 25 industry leaders on "The Most Powerful Women in Finance." Bank of the West was also awarded the "Top Teams in Banking" award, which recognizes teams of visionary female leaders in banking by examining leadership style, professional accomplishments and personal values.

"I am extremely proud of the work our team members have done and continue to do every day and I am honored to receive this recognition from American Banker," said Bakhshi. "I have the privilege of working alongside phenomenal leaders every day, and am consistently encouraged by the values they exemplify in their work focusing on our customer needs, innovative solutions and continuous learning. As I look across our organization, each of these women is at the forefront of how we are evolving, and it fills me with great pride and excitement for the future of Bank of the West and BNP Paribas."

Bank of the West executives recognized as winners of the "Top Teams in Banking" award include:

• Nandita Bakhshi, President & CEO of Bank of the West, Co-CEO of BNP Paribas USA
• Vanessa Washington, Senior Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Bank of the West and BancWest
• Ann von Germeten, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer
• Patricia Nowak, Executive Vice President, Head of Customer Experience
• Emma Pertat, Executive Vice President, General Auditor, Bank of the West and BancWest
• Michelle Di Gangi, Executive Vice President, Head of Small and Medium Enterprise Banking, Consumer Banking Division
• Mary Borg, Executive Vice President, Head of Retail Branch Network and Strategy, Consumer Banking Division
• Beth Hale, Executive Vice President, Head of Product and Payments Solutions, Consumer Banking Division
• Maria Lazzarini, Executive Vice President, Northern California Retail Banking, Consumer Banking Division
• Eileen Dignen, Executive Vice President, Head of Cash Management & Commercial Card, Commercial Banking Group
• Meghan Birmingham Leader, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, Commercial Banking Group
• Kristin Nelson, Senior Vice President, Head of Sales Strategy, Training & Business Owner Solutions, Wealth Management Group

This year's honorees will be honored on October 5, 2017 at a gala award dinner at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City and are featured in the October issue of American Banker Magazine.

The complete ranking for The Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance Awards is available on the American Banker website, found here.

About Bank of the West
Bank of the West is a regional financial services company headquartered in San Francisco with $86.9 billion in assets as of June 30, 2017. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 600 branches and offices in 23 states and digital channels. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, a leading bank in Europe, which has a presence in 74 countries with more than 192,000 employees. To learn more about Bank of the West, visit About Us via BankoftheWest.com.

Deposit and loan products offered by Bank of the West, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. ©2017 Bank of the West.  In South Dakota, Bank of the West operates under the name Bank of the West California.

About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is a leading bank in Europe with an international reach. It has a presence in 74 countries, with more than 190,000 employees, including more than 146,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main activities: Domestic Markets and International Financial Services (whose retail-banking networks and financial services are covered by Retail Banking & Services) and Corporate & Institutional Banking, which serves two client franchises: corporate clients and institutional investors. The Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realize their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail-banking model in Mediterranean countries, in Turkey, in Eastern Europe and a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Institutional Banking and International Financial Services activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific.

About American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Banking
American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Banking recognizes the professional achievements and influence of the top-performing female executives in banking and financial services. The annual program, now in its 15th year, encompasses four lists: the 25 Most Powerful Women in Bankingtm, the 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance, the 25 Women to Watch, and the Top Teams in Banking. Rankings and details about the awards dinner are available at americanbanker.com/women-in-banking.

SOURCE Bank of the West