BHI appointed former HSBC Vice Chairman Emeritas Diane D’Erasmo to its Advisory Group.

“Diane D’Erasmo brings an unsurpassed knowledge of multiple areas of banking, from investment banking to operations, in the US and abroad. She speaks the languages of finance, risk management, strategy, marketing and leadership. She is attuned to the perspective of colleagues in finance and to customers in diverse industries. We are excited that Ms. D’Erasmo joins the Advisory Group of BHI,” said Gabriel Hamani, BHI CEO.

D’Erasmo served for more than 30 years at HSBC Bank, the 12th largest bank in the U.S. Her roles there included corporate banking with specialization in retail, consumer products and multinational subsidiary banking, as well as leadership in risk management, government and regulatory compliance, sales and marketing, plus development of internal initiatives on diversity and women. She advised public, private, domestic and international clients on lending and investment banking transactions, among other areas.

D’Erasmo received American Banker’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and was recognized as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking for eight consecutive years.

“BHI’s dedicated focus on customer service and its emphasis on innovative funding for growing enterprises places it among the leading banks of its size. I am most pleased to join the BHI Advisory Group at this juncture as the bank continues to extend its success,” said D’Erasmo.

“Diane D’Erasmo is known and respected for her judgment, business development, strategy and execution, with a particular emphasis on relationships and team leadership. We welcome her to the Advisory Group, which is now comprised of members all with outstanding international and domestic banking experience,” said Yair Talmor, chairman of the BHI USA Advisory Group.

The BHI Advisory Group consists of executive management from BHI and the Bank Hapoalim Group, as well as notable New York business leaders. Members include Yair Talmor, BHI chairman; Hamani; David Hertz, BHI general counsel and Howard Ross, BHI EVP. External members include John Castsimatidis, chairman, Red Apple Group, and David Krell, co-founder, International Securities Exchange. Members from the Bank Hapoalim Group include Oded Eran, chairman; Arik Pinto, president and CEO; Yadin Antebi, head of Financial Markets and International Banking and Tzahi Cohen, head of Corporate Banking.

BHI is the U.S. division of Bank Hapoalim, Israel’s leading financial institution. It provides the commercial lending solutions to Middle Market clients in commercial real estate, food and commodities, entertainment, apparel, healthcare and high-tech sectors.