BNP PARIBAS’ roots in Ireland date back to 1973 when, in the wake of Ireland joining the European Economic Community (at the same time as the UK and Denmark), a banking subsidiary of Banque National de Paris opened operations with one line of business and a single employee working from a bedroom in Dublin’s Burlington Hotel. Now, marking 50 years of business in Ireland, the French bank employs 550 staff across 20 legal entities with revenues of €300 million with operations in Dublin and Galway.
The Irish organisation has undergone significant transformation during its 50-year history with the latest diversification of the business seeing BNP Paribas Asset Management domiciling ETFs in Ireland for the first time in order to compete with other ETF issuers in Europe (see Finance Dublin February 2023 for more).

Derek Kehoe, CEO and country head of BNP Paribas Ireland attributes the transformation to factors such as the adoption of new technologies, digitisation and the expansion and diversification of its operation, which now spans a wide range of corporate and commercial strands. Speaking with Finance Dublin Kehoe said, “We at BNP Paribas are very proud to celebrate 50 years in Ireland.

Thanks to the dedication of our teams and the continuous long term partnership with our clients and local stakeholders we look forward to continuing to grow and thrive in Ireland for many years to come.” (For more on BNP Paribas’ Irish business see the Finance Dublin Yearbook 2023 where its Irish banking, securities services, insurance and real estate leaders profile their businesses).

Kehoe says the bank’s diversified yet integrated model has been central to the banks’ success globally and in Ireland. He added the recent integration of its three Dublin offices into one state-of-the-art office in Sandyford, Dublin has had a number benefits for the bank. “It’s a significant investment but moving to a premises that is more spacious, while simultaneously reducing our carbon footprint, is a statement of our intent and our commitment to sustainable and sustained growth in Ireland. We have the ambition and we now have the capacity, so it’s an exciting time for BNP Paribas as we plan for further expansion in Ireland,” said Kehoe.