(Bloomberg) -- NatWest Group Plc will close its operations in Poland by the end of next year as part of a revamp by new Chief Executive Officer Paul Thwaite, leading to the loss of about 1,600 jobs in the country, a person familiar with the matter said.

About a third of the staff in the eastern European nation will leave in the next three months, with the rest departing by the end of 2025, according to the person, who asked not to be identified discussing personnel decisions. 

“In line with our focus on simplifying NatWest Group, we continue to review how we organise ourselves in the most efficient and effective way,” a NatWest spokesperson said in an email. “These decisions are not taken lightly, and we are committed to supporting all colleagues who are impacted.”

Around two-thirds of the bank’s employees in Poland work in financial crime, and a project they were involved in has now been successfully completed, the person said. About 45% of the roles currently filled in Poland will no longer exist after 2025. The remainder will be transferred to the UK and India in a roughly equal split, creating new jobs in those countries.

The British lender’s decision to shut its Poland operations was earlier reported by the Financial Times.

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