Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) named Lola Ninonuevo the new chief operating officer for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. The appointment is effective Aug. 3 and subject to regulatory approval. In addition, Richard Place joined as CFO for Wells Fargo EMEA. Place joined Wells Fargo on May 11, and his role is subject to regulatory approval.

Ninonuevo will succeed Louise Li, who was appointed head of regulatory relations for EMEA last year, and in January, she also was appointed the chair of Wells Fargo Bank International UC. Ninonuevo will be based in London, reporting to John Langley, regional president of EMEA, and Shawn Milligan, chief operating officer for International. She will be a member of the EMEA executive and Wells Fargo Bank N.A. London branch management committees, as well as chair of the EMEA operating committee.

In her role as EMEA COO, Ninonuevo will have regional responsibility for enterprise support functions and partner with business leaders across Wells Fargo on the management of non-U.S. activities. Ninonuevo also will play a leadership role in the development and execution of the overall Wells Fargo international vision and strategy.

In the newly created position of EMEA CFO, Place will be based in London. He will report to Langley and to Joe Kauder, wholesale group finance officer. Place will serve on the EMEA executive committee, the Wells Fargo Bank N.A. London branch management committee, and the Wells Fargo Securities International Limited (WFSIL) executive committee.

“As part of Wells Fargo’s strategic commitment to the EMEA region, I’m delighted to welcome Lola and Richard to Wells Fargo as we continue to strengthen the leadership team. Both are respected industry professionals who bring extensive experience, which will further enhance our infrastructure and improve our offering for our commercial, corporate and financial institution clients across the region,” Langley said.

Ninonuevo has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services sector, primarily within global banking and markets. She joined Wells Fargo from HSBC, where she has worked for more than 22 years in a number of senior roles in London and New York. Her most recent role was COO of global banking and markets Europe, where she was instrumental in establishing the COO function following the implementation of ring-fencing in the U.K. and managing operations across the region.

Place previously worked at The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Group for more than 13 years, where he held a number of senior positions. He served as CFO for NatWest Markets from 2015 to 2019. Based in London, Place partnered with the executive team on a number of strategic business initiatives and drove a series of resource optimization programs for NatWest Markets. He also spearheaded a series of financial initiatives, from capital optimization and ring-fencing to the implementation of risk and controls across NatWest Markets.