BBVA has promoted Alejandro Chiaradia to the newly created role of head of global trade finance Americas.

Chiaradia, who took up the position in March, has relocated to New York from Mexico City, where he was director of international trade and global trade finance for Mexico. He has held various trade and corporate banking roles since joining the Spain-based lender in 2000.

BBVA established the new role in order to more closely link its US and Latin American trade finance units, a spokesperson says.

Chiarada is responsible for the origination and development of BBVA’s trade portfolio, including trade and supply chain finance and other short-term financing. He will also contribute to the design and implementation of a trade product strategy in the Americas aimed at boosting cross-border business, in addition to responsibility for relationships with export credit agencies and trade-related multilateral organisations.

He will report to both Francisco Javier Fernandez de Troconiz, head of the global trade and international banking unit, and locally to Juan Carlos Sanchez, head of global transaction banking for the US.

“With this new position, we are taking a new step in our regional product strategy, which has been extremely successful in the different countries in the region,” says Fernandez de Troconiz. “We see a huge opportunity for BBVA to also boost our cross-border business within the Americas, by combining our strong local market presence with our growing product capabilities in our New York hub.”

“Alejandro has over 17 years of experience in trade finance… and we are convinced that he will take our regional business to a new stage.”