
Trade Finance & Services
With an international trade network covering 37 countries, we support your development projects by securing and financing your international transactions.
Supporting exporters & importers across the globe
Our teams are here to support you in every step of the way whether you are seeking to:
For each of your objectives, we provide you with a full range of innovative and responsible documentary solutions as well as structured and tailor-made solutions.
To mitigate risks, we implement products covering a wide range of situations such as documentary credits, international guarantees, stand-by letters of credit (SBLC), operations backed by export credit agencies, transactions covered by supranational entities or by private insurers and syndications.
Leveraging a 37-country Trade Finance network, our extensive network of correspondent banks and in-depth knowledge of local markets, our teams are perfectly able to provide you with their expertise wherever you operate.
Committed to a more sustainable economy, we offer Trade Finance CSR solutions to support your green projects and your CSR transition.
Trade finance has a key role to play globally to contribute to the transition to a more sustainable, more inclusive and greener economy. We have developed innovative sustainability linked trade finance solutions to contribute to our clients’ positive impact strategy.
Head of Trade Services
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Laurent AYAT joined Societe Generale in 2004. He held various key relationships management positions in commercial banking, including such as Senior Relationship manager and Head of Global Transaction Banking in the UK.
He is in charge of the proactive development, with the support of his team, of the structured Trade Finance activities on behalf of the various entities of Societe Generale. This development will continue the innovative approach and commercial initiatives started in recent years by Sébastien HALLEY DES FONTAINES. Laurent is also responsible for managing credit and operational risks for this activity.

Emmanuelle joined Societe Generale in Paris in 2007 to set up the liabilities management’s business of Debt Capital Markets within the Global Finance Division. From 2009 to 2012 she set up and headed the Client Management Unit of Global Finance. Then she was appointed Head of the Relationship Management Unit in charge of the Aerospace & Defense, Technology, Holding sector within the Investment Banking division.
She was appointed in 2017 as Deputy Head of Payments & Cash Management with special supervision of sales in France as well as the implementation of client projects.
In June 2020, she was named Global Deputy Head of the Trade Finance services business line. Her role includes management of commercial teams world-wide.

Blandine Gamblin joined Societe Generale’s Trade Finance business line in 2015 as Regional Head of Trade Finance for Africa. Prior to this, she held different positions within Societe Generale’s corporate & investment banking activities, including more than 15 years in the commodities sector with her last post as Managing Director, in charge of Commodities Trade Finance.

Isabel Santos joined Societe Generale in 2016 where she was appointed Head of Financial Institutions within the Trade Services business line.
Prior to that, she worked in Portugal where she started her banking career in 1993 at Banco Comercial Portugues. She also worked in Barclays Bank, Portugal, and in 2003 she joined Banco Espirito Santo where she held several positions until 2014.

Philippe Puddu started its career within Banque de Polynésie in 1979 and then held several corporate banking managerial positions in Societe Generale’s International network for 30 years.
He also held several posts within Societe Generale’s Paris Head Office in various fields, such as commodity structured finance and country risk management. In 2016 he was appointed Regional head of Trade Finance for Central & Eastern Europe.

Sébastien started his career in Societe Generale in 1999 in the Commodities Division, part of Societe Generale CIB.
He joined the Commodity Structured Trade Finance department in 2004 till 2013, with several front office positions in the origination, structuring and coverage areas (Oil & Gas, Metals & Mining, Sugar & Agri – all in emerging markets).
Since, as Head of Structured Trade Finance department within the Global Transaction Banking Division, part of GBIS, he has been active in the business development segment for large strategic clients of the bank on both corporate and financial institutions segments.
Sébastien was nominated in April 2022 Head of Structured Trade Finance & Origination for Western Europe & US – in charge of the global business development & management of senior trade bankers on these geographies.
Sébastien is graduated from Paris Dauphine and Paris Panthéon Sorbonne Universities.
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