The vice-chairman and member of the board of directors of Credit Suisse, has left the bank and headed into retirement after a 16-year career at the Swiss institution, according to a «Bloomberg» report, citing sources and confirmed by a spokesperson.

In addition to his role on the board, which he joined in June 2019, Shirakawa was also the chief economist for Japan, leading a team that won numerous awards, according to his Credit Suisse profile. He is replaced by Takashi Shiono

He started his career at the Bank of Japan (BoJ) in 1983, where he was mainly in charge of research and analysis for money and credit markets, serving as an assistant to the governor during Japan's banking crisis of 1997-1998. He also served as a senior economist at the OECD in Paris from 1991 until 1994. 

Although he is heading into retirement, Shirakawa's departure is one among many senior executives leaving at a time when Credit Suisse is undergoing a wide-ranging reorganization.