Luiz Carlos Couto and Marcelo Carvalho Bring Wealth of Experience to Growing Latin America Market MIAMI and SAO PAOLO, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America Merrill Lynch today announced that Luiz Carlos Couto was named sales manager for Latin America, and Marcelo Pereira de Carvalho was named senior sales officer for Brazil within the Global Financial Institutions Treasury business. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090812/CL60095LOGO ) Before joining Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Couto was at Standard Chartered Bank, where he was the transaction banking head for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. He previously was senior director for Latin America and the Caribbean at American Express Bank before Standard Chartered bought that bank's Latin America business. Couto is based in Miami and reports to Kathleen Gowin, global sales executive for Treasury Management and Trade - Financial Services. "Luiz brings a wealth of experience in the dynamic Latin America region, which will prove invaluable to our continued growth in those countries," Gowin said. "His leadership and track record of opening markets and increasing revenues in Latin America will be tremendous assets to Bank of America Merrill Lynch." Carvalho was at Citibank's North America Commercial Bank for 20 years, most recently as senior vice president and product director responsible for covering Sao Paolo, London and New York. He previously was at the Bank of Boston and the Votorantim Group, working for both in Sao Paolo. Carvalho is based in Sao Paolo and reports to Couto. "Marcelo brings incredible experience to this role," Couto said. "His record of improving efficiency in product programs and implementing strategy plans will drive growth for Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Brazil, one of the world's most vital emerging markets." With offices in 40 countries, Bank of America Merrill Lynch provides corporate and investment banking, trade finance, and treasury management to both banks and non-bank financial institutions around the world. In Latin America, Bank of America Merrill Lynch has offices in Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Santiago and Bogota, and also serves clients through hub offices in New York and Miami. The bank works with local service providers in more than a dozen Latin American nations and nearly 20 Caribbean nations and territories. Bank of America Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company's corporate and investment banking, and sales and trading businesses operate under the Bank of America Merrill Lynch brand. Bank of America Merrill Lynch focuses on middle-market and large corporations, institutional investors, financial institutions and government entities. It provides innovative services in M&A, equity and debt capital raising, lending, trading, risk management, research, and liquidity and payments management. Bank of America Merrill Lynch serves clients in more than 150 countries and has relationships with 99 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and nearly 96 percent of the Fortune Global 500. Bank of America Merrill Lynch is the marketing name for the global banking and global markets businesses of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., member FDIC. Securities, strategic advisory, and other investment banking activities are performed globally by investment banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation ("Investment Banking Affiliates"), including, in the United States, Banc of America Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, which are both registered broker-dealers and members of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, locally registered entities. Investment products offered by Investment Banking Affiliates: Are Not FDIC Insured * May Lose Value * Are Not Bank Guaranteed http://www.bankofamerica.com/ http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090812/CL60095LOGODATASOURCE: Bank of America Merrill Lynch CONTACT: Jefferson George, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, +1-980-683-4798, Web Site: http://www.bankofamerica.com/

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