Abn Amro launched a corporate finance advisory business in Singapore for its energy, commodities and transportation (ECT) clients, the Amsterdam-based bank said Sept. 8.

The corporate finance advisory team will work in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) across Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, as well as Singapore, the bank added.

Frank van Deur, the managing director of Corporate Finance & Capital Markets Asia, will lead the group. He has worked in cross-border M&A for ten years, and also worked as a senior energy banker in Houston and Chicago, the bank said.

The wholesale banking for Asian clients includes loans, syndications, debt capital markets, acquisition finance, structured finance and project finance, Abn Amro noted.

Arjan van Rijn was appointed as head of ECT Clients Asia, the bank said, noting that he rebuilt Abn Amro’s corporate banking franchise in the Netherlands. He began his career with Rabobank in Frankfurt, Germany, and worked in leveraged finance at Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C), Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) and Abn Amro in London, the bank added.

Stefan Ras will join the group in Singapore as a senior energy banker, the bank said. He has investment banking experience and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, the bank added.

The ECT clients are a “key international growth business,” the bank noted.

“With our strong client base in Asia and our global corporate finance capabilities with additional hubs in Europe and the Americas, we can fully connect our sector network around the clock and provide clients with unique insights, opportunities and comprehensive financial solutions,” said van Deur.

“Abn Amro has a very long heritage in Asia and is a trusted banking partner for energy, commodities and shipping companies in the region. We believe the time is right to expand our advisory capabilities, to further harness our sector expertise and global footprint for these clients,” added Maureen DeRooij, country executive for Greater China and CEO of Wholesale Banking Asia.