Trade finance provider Tradewind has hired Jose Roca as a senior vice-president in the firm’s New York office.

Roca joins Tradewind from People’s United Bank, where he held the position of senior vice-president, business development for seven years.

Prior to this Roca held several roles in asset-based lending: vice-president of business development at Bank Leumi USA, senior business financial advisor at Merrill Lynch Business Financial Services and vice-president of relationship management at Fleet Bank.

Roca will be responsible for growing the company’s sales base and programme offerings, reporting to John Stillwaggon, CEO of Tradewind Americas.

A spokesperson for Tradewind tells GTR that the appointment forms part of a strategic expansion of the firm’s commercial team.

“One of the key differentiators in business comes from being able to offer clients both a domestic and an international offering in this ever-changing marketplace,” says Roca.

The trade finance firm changed its name from DS-Concept to Tradewind last year. Established in Germany in 2000, it now has more than 20 offices across four continents, including Hong Kong, China, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, the UAE, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, Iceland, the US and Peru.