FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2011
BAFT-IFSA Media Contact: Sarah Grano
(202) 663-5468
E-mail: sgrano@aba.com

BAFT-IFSA NAMES KATHLEEN GOWIN
INTERIM PRESIDENT AND CEO

WASHINGTON — BAFT-IFSA, a global financial services association, has named Kathleen Gowin interim president and CEO. As the new leader of BAFT-IFSA she will be responsible for the advocacy and outreach for issues related to trade and payments on behalf of members worldwide.

“We are delighted to have Kathleen join the staff,” said Jeremy Wilson, chair of BAFT-IFSA and vice chairman, Barclays Corporate. “She brings a wealth of experience in banking to support the association’s strategy, its councils and its leadership communities across the globe.”

Prior to joining BAFT-IFSA, Gowin managed several businesses within the Bank of America treasury management sales organization. In recent years, she led the global sales team for both financial institutions and non-bank financial institutions and restructured the role of relationship management teams in the Americas.

Gowin was the global sales executive at Bank of America for the Financial Institutions Group (FIG) during the financial meltdown of 2008 which demanded the development of counterparty risk strategies and the creation of client selection strategies.

A graduate of the University of Illinois Springfield MBA Program, she serves as a member of the strategic advisory council, which provides long-term direction to the College of Business and Management. In 2011, Ms Gowin was inducted into the Cambridge “Who’s Who” of American Business.

She will serve until March of 2012 or until a permanent president and CEO has been named. The BAFT-IFSA board of directors and its executive committee is currently conducting a global search for a permanent president and CEO.

“Kathleen has experience running a global sales team and building relationships with regulators and competitors alike,” said Robert Davis, American Bankers Association executive vice president responsible for managing the relationship with BAFT-IFSA, an ABA affiliate. “She served on the BAFT-IFSA board since July of 2009 in such roles as co-chair of the North American council and on the membership committee and the governance task force. We welcome her leadership during this critical time for trade and payments.”

The association is holding its Global Annual Meeting on Jan. 23-25 in London to tackle issues facing the industry including the unintended consequences of the liquidity and capital requirements under Basel III.

BAFT-IFSA, the leading global financial services association for international transaction banking, provides a forum for analysis, discussion and advocacy amongst international financial institutions and industry suppliers on a wide range of topics affecting transaction banking, including trade finance, payments, and compliance. The association website is www.baft-ifsa.com.

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