Banking

Thailand’s sluggish economic growth has raised alarm bells recently, but its banking sector continues to push forward. Krungsri, one of the country’s top five banks, is guided by its mission to responsibly meet the needs of its customers and serve society through sustainable growth. In our interview, Mr. Pornsanong Tuchinda, head of commercial banking, discusses how by combining customer centricity with digital technology, the bank is achieving its goals.

Hong Kong, southern China’s special administrative region, is counted as one of the world’s foremost financial hubs, ranking high in digital transformation, and is currently rolling out virtual banks, which are keeping traditional banks on their toes. One of the well-established banks in Hong Kong, China CITIC Bank International (CNCBI), has staked claim to being a frontrunner in digitalization and is rapidly expanding its innovation footprint in China’s Greater Bay Area.

Spanish banks appear to be on the up, especially when compared to last year. The banking sector continues to suffer…

Banks increased their recruitment of temporary Accounting & Finance professionals across both Regulatory Reporting and Product Control as the summer hiring lull ended. A number of external factors have played a key role so far this year, not least Brexit uncertainty and the impact of IR35 on longer term contract opportunities.

Legitimate cannabis businesses face challenges accessing financial services in the United States, with the substance being legal in some states but banned at the federal level. Most banks don’t want to touch them, even in states in which marijuana is legal. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives recently passed the SAFE Banking Act to address some of these issues, but there is no guarantee that it will survive the Republican-dominated Senate.

Although not a new concept, big data is now gaining the world’s attention like never before. Some call it the “new oil”, given its growing reputation as a valuable, largely untapped resource. Indeed, today we are seeing data being unleashed across many different walks of life, as a growing global consensus believes it could dramatically transform the way the world works.

A key global initiative that currently unites much of the world is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Launched by the United Nations back in 2015, Agenda 2030 is an action plan for “people, the planet and prosperity”, which countries and stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, have pledged to implement.

Ms. Juliet Morris of International Banker interviews Ms. Nahla Khaddage Bou-Diab, Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of AM Bank on the bank’s approach to customer service, the take-up of digital banking in Lebanon and the “opportunity gap” for women employed in the Middle East banking sector.

Problems have continued to mount for the German banking sector in 2019. According to Ronit Ghose, the global head of banks research at Citibank, German lenders are in a much worse position than their European counterparts—and that even includes Italy when it comes to profitability.

Customers today are leery of sharing with businesses too much of what they consider to be one of their most valuable assets: their personal data. And it’s no wonder, as data breaches abound. Fortunately for banks in the United Kingdom, they rank more highly than other businesses in customer estimation of data guardianship, according to recent research. How can businesses across sectors bolster customer trust in their data handling?