Société Générale has appointed Eric Bayle as head of global transaction banking in the UK and Merel Josseaud as head of trade finance in the UK.

Bayle’s main responsibilities will be to develop the bank’s transaction banking services, including cash management and payment services, trade finance and factoring.

Josseaud, who will report to Bayle, will work to expand the bank’s trade and import/export finance offering for clients based in the UK and Nordics. Offerings include letters of credit and international trade guarantees, as well as bespoke structured solutions.

Both appointments are based in London and effective immediately.

“The UK represents an important location in our global network,” says Benoît Desserre, global head of global transaction banking.

“With Eric’s leadership, our aim is to further expand our local client base by combining experience, know-how and innovative capabilities with our international expertise as a major banking group.”

Bayle began his career in 1995 at Bank of America as customer service officer. In 2000, he joined Mizuho Bank as a relationship manager responsible for a large portfolio of French CAC 40 corporates. He then joined the Société Générale group in 2001 as a relationship manager responsible for local French SMEs and mid-caps and went on to become senior cash management sales manager in 2005. In 2010, he moved to London and was appointed to his previous position as head of payments and cash management.

Josseaud began her career at Société Générale in Amsterdam in 1989 and has held various positions in trade finance over the past 20 years, covering a portfolio of large Dutch and international clients in Benelux, the Nordics and the UK, out of Amsterdam.