BNY Mellon has appointed Lester Owens as Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Operations. Owens, who joins the company in February 2019, will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Charles W. Scharf, and will join the firm's Executive Committee, BNY Mellon's senior-most governing body.

"Lester is a seasoned operations executive with a passion for excellence, client experience, efficiency, control and transformation.  Lester's role is critical as we continue to drive an improved client experience, increase our efficiency, and work with our clients to rethink how we process securities and cash.  His reputation as a great leader will complement the terrific leadership team we have today within Operations.  We are thrilled to attract a leader of Lester's caliber to our organization," said Mr. Scharf.

Owens brings over 20 years of operations leadership experience in complex financial services organizations. Most recently, he was responsible for Global Wholesale Banking Operations and Corporate and Investment Bank Client Onboarding at JPMorgan. Previously, he led significant operations activities for Deutsche Bank, Citibank and Bankers Trust. 

Owens has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) since 2016, and chaired the Clearing House Interbank Payments Systems Board from 2015 to 2016.