The European Central Bank has formally asked BNP Paribas to lay out its plans for a CEO transition, putting a spotlight on leadership continuity at one of the world’s most systemically important banks. The request, part of the ECB’s routine annual review of capital requirements, zeroes in on succession planning for CEO Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, who has held the top job since December 2011.

What the ECB wants to know

The inquiry isn’t limited to Bonnafé. The ECB is also asking about succession planning for Chairman Jean Lemierre, signaling a broader governance review of the bank’s most senior leadership.

Recent executive departures have raised questions about whether BNP Paribas has a deep enough bench of internal candidates ready to step up. At the May 13, 2025 annual general meeting, shareholders voted 98% in favor of raising the mandatory retirement age for the CEO position from 65 to 68 years, with the option to tack on one more year after that. Bonnafé, born July 14, 1961, would hit the original 65-year ceiling in 2026. In that same AGM, Bonnafé was re-elected for a fresh three-year term extending to the 2028 annual meeting.

BNP Paribas and its quiet crypto pivot

The bank participated in the Eurosystem’s wholesale settlement trials using distributed ledger technology between 2024 and 2025. In March 2026, BNP Paribas began offering cryptocurrency exchange-traded notes to retail clients in France.