Berard’s Challenges at ABN Only Begin With Learning Dutch

  • Marguerite Berard walked away from a top role at BNP Paribas
  • Now she’s set to become the first woman to run ABN Amro
Marguerite BerardSource: ABN Amro Bank NV

Marguerite Berard had everything an ambitious executive could wish for at her high-profile job overseeing French commercial and personal banking at BNP Paribas SA — except a clear path to the top.

The abrupt resignation by ABN Amro Bank NV Chief Executive Officer Robert Swaak, a few months after she left her former employer, now affords her an unexpected opportunity to fulfill her ambition of running a major lender.