SMBC has named Mitsuhiro Kawamura as the global head of its global trade finance department, effective April 1.   

Kawamura (pictured) was previously the Japanese bank’s global head of trade innovation and a regional co-head of trade in the Americas. He will be based in Tokyo.  

Kawamura will oversee the lender’s global trade finance business, including receivables and payables finance, inventory finance, documentary trade, trade for financial institutions and structured commodity finance, a bank spokesperson tells GTR.  

Kawamura replaces Hiromitsu Yoshizawa, who has been appointed deputy head of the bank’s Europe, Middle East and Africa division.  

“It is a great honour to lead our global trade finance teams at such a pivotal time,” Kawamura says. “I am committed to providing our valued customers with innovative solutions and expanding our excellence in the trade finance field globally.” 

The bank also announced that Norihito Obata has been promoted to global head of product development and governance for the lender’s global trade finance business.  

Obata is based in London and says he is “delighted to embark on this new chapter and embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead”.  

He was previously a global co-head of the global trade finance division’s planning function.