Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), a member of SMBC Group, announced the opening of a representative office in Washington, DC to deepen ties with key stakeholders in the nation’s capital as the bank continues to expand its support of the U.S. economy.

The debut of the bank’s representative office coincides with recent key hires, including Randy Ross as Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy, and Althea Pieters as Head of Regulatory Strategy. Ross and Pieters bring years of experience both in government and in representing the financial services sector to strengthen SMBC’s relationships with regulators, industry groups and lawmakers.

“Today, we are excited to mark the continued expansion of our U.S. operations by announcing the opening of our Washington D.C. Office and a best-in-class team to run it,” said Hiro Otsuka, Chief Executive Officer of SMBC Americas Division and President and CEO of SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc. “As one of the largest foreign banks in the United States, it is crucial for us to maintain our focus on the evolving regulatory and public policy environment with a team on the ground.”

Prior to joining SMBC, Ross was Head of U.S. Public Policy for Credit Suisse, where he led the firm’s Washington D.C. Office. Before that, he managed Nomura’s Washington D.C. operations and served as the Financial Services Committee Designee and Legislative Director to U.S. Congressman Gary Miller.

Pieters previously served as the Head of U.S. Regulatory Policy at Credit Suisse. Before that, she held several key roles at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and as a Foreign Banking Expert for the European Central Bank.

Ross and Pieters, both Managing Directors, will be joined in SMBC’s D.C. Office by Kazuhiro Yoshimi, Executive Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs, and Kevin Parker, Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs. The D.C. Office will be fully operational in October.

The SMBC Group’s operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities Canada, Ltd., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC Rail Services LLC, Manufacturers Bank, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd.