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< Huibert Boumeester, the former chief financial officer at ABN Amro, was found dead in woodland in Winkfield, Berkshire on Saturday.
div>Mr Boumeester went missing last Monday with two of his registered shotguns. Police issued an urgent appeal to trace the banker, after searching both his London homes and his estate in Scotland.
A Thames Valley police spokesman said: “Police are currently at the scene of an unexplained death. They discovered the body of a man who is believed to have died from gun shot wounds.”
Although the police said they were unable to officially confirm the man’s identity yet, it is believed that police sources have already identified the body as that of Mr Boumeester.
Mr Boumeester worked for troubled banking group ABN Amro, which was the subject of the catastrophic takeover by the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2007. He was also on the board of several City firms.
The 49 year-old banker had been described as “depressed” of late and had left ABN Amro at the end of last year. It is unclear whether he resigned or was forced out. He also left the board of Artemis Asset Management in March this year, citing “personal reasons.”
Speaking yesterday to The Independent newspaper, a friend of Mr Boumeester’s said: “Huibert was a big character. He was a deal-maker like almost no-one else I've met. Through sheer force of personality he made his deals happen, without being the textbook ruthless banker. He was hurt by the ABN takeover. He backed the losing bidder and he had to go. After that he struggled personally. What has happened is incredibly sad. He clearly felt he couldn't go on in the current climate.”
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