Maarten van Alkemade has joined Fimbank as head of its trade finance department.

He moves to the bank from Coalogic, where he worked as a consultant for banks and commodity resources companies across Africa. Before that, he served as finance director at Metmar Trading, a commodity trading, processing and mining group.

His banking career also includes stints at Rabobank, ABN Amro and, more recently, Standard Bank in Johannesburg, where he was head of structured trade and commodity finance.

Fimbank president Margrith Lutschg-Emenegger comments on the appointment: “We are very pleased to have Maarten on the team. His vast experience in commodity trading and trade finance in general will prove invaluable in our drive to develop further our extensive range of trade finance products, and to enhance the already high quality of service for which Fimbank is renowned.”

In his new role, van Alkemade will work closely with Armin Eckermann, the bank’s head of trade finance group, to grow its commodity and transactional trade finance business.