Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. has hired TD executive Greg Keeley as chief operating officer for the Americas division as the Japanese lender continues to expand operations across the region.
Keeley will lead the technology, cyber, and operational functions while driving transformation and innovation at SMBC, according to a company memo seen by Banking Dive.
“[This is] a key role as we continue to evolve as a modern, digital, and data-driven bank,” Hirofumi Otsuka, CEO of the SMBC Americas Division, noted in the memo. “Greg’s track record and leadership experience will play an important role as we continue to innovate and scale our operations across the region.”
Keeley, based in New York, will join the lender in April and officially take over the COO role from Katsuyuki Kubo, who has held the position on an interim basis. Kubo, who is also the chief of staff, will ensure a smooth transition, according to a company spokesperson.
Keeley will report to Otsuka.
Keeley, most recently, was the senior executive vice president of platforms and technology at TD Bank. He spent more than six years at TD in various leadership roles, including chief information officer, technology and head of enterprise operational excellence, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He left the Toronto-based bank on Jan. 31 to “pursue an outside opportunity,” TD said in a press release. Since he joined TD in 2018, Keeley “has attracted strong talent” while helping the lender to enhance its digital capabilities and ensure the security of the bank’s platforms, TD said.
Prior to joining TD, Keeley worked at American Express for more than 21 years, where he spearheaded major technology and leadership initiatives.
SMBC’s latest move follows the recent news that SMBC Nikko Securities America was designated a primary dealer by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as the company continues to build momentum in the U.S. market.
SMBC’s Americas division is a key element of the global SMBC institution and has a long-term commitment to the market, an SMBC spokesperson said via email. The U.S. counterpart has seen significant headcount growth in the last five years, including making key hires across senior-level roles — the most recent was the appointment of JPMorgan alum Christine Ferris as the head of securitized products in January.
Currently, SMBC has a total headcount of over 5,000 in the Americas. The growth in headcount has been “driven by growth in both the front office, as well as ongoing investment in functional infrastructure, particularly technology, risk, and compliance,” as SMBC plans to continue investing in talent, the spokesperson noted.
