Companies

Costa Rica has been one of Central America’s most prosperous and stable countries, providing many opportunities for its financial sector to flourish—despite the government’s recent liquidity crisis. BAC Credomatic Costa Rica, with its emphasis on placing the customer in the centre, has made the best use of the advantages its home country offers. Country Manager Federico Odio González gave us a run-down on BAC’s commitment to streamlining while improving its operations.

First Global Bank is living up to its name by being the first to introduce a number of banking breakthroughs in Jamaica. True to its mission statement, FGB seeks to empower people to get ahead in life and business. International Banker spoke with its president and CEO, Mariame McIntosh Robinson, and vice president of corporate banking, Norman Thompson, to learn more about what this forward-looking bank is up to these days.

Ecuador’s Banco de la Producción S.A. – Produbanco is guided by its belief that its “essence” is its customers, setting the bar for customer service in Latin American banking. In 2014, Produbanco began a digital transformation that has taken it to new heights of innovation in customer delivery. CEO Ricardo Cuesta Delgado describes in detail the great lengths to which the bank is going to serve its customers even better.

National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited has been meeting the needs of the residents of Jamaica for the past 182 years. Despite its long history, it has adapted with changing times and is dedicated to continually reinventing itself. In our interview with him, President and Group CEO Patrick Hylton explains NCB Financial Group Limited’s plans to achieve such goals as building a world-class digital experience for its customers and accelerating its regional expansion.

Private investment bank VACE Partners recognizes that it is only as strong as its team is; combining “intelligence, energy and enthusiasm with experience, ability, relationships and knowledge” has been VACE’s winning formula, enabling it to close on several important deals since its inception a decade ago. International Banker spoke with Ricardo Cervera and Carlos Vara, managing directors and founding partners, to learn more about this rising star on Mexico’s financial horizon.

The landlocked Central Asian country of Kazakhstan is vast in diversity, natural resources and land size but relatively small in population per square kilometer, presenting a challenge for its domestic financial-services providers. ForteBank has been striving to reach customers country-wide through its unique blend of top-of-the-line products and services, with a growing emphasis on digital solutions. In our interview, CEO Guram Andronikashvili discusses the bank’s recent successes and plans for the future.

Mr. Simon Hughes, International Banker, and Mr. Anders Bouvin, President and Group CEO of Handelsbanken, discuss the bank’s recent positive financial results, its strategy and growth.

“We put our clients’ interests at the heart of what we do and strive to offer them at all times a high-quality service and relevant solutions.” That is one of the four cornerstones that make up the overarching business strategy of KBC Group, the Brussels-headquartered bank-insurer that has emerged over the last few years as one of Europe’s strongest and most formidable financial institutions.

Three years ago, Union Bank of the Philippines reached the unprecedented decision to transform itself to be “digital to the core”. Most every bank is introducing digital innovations, but UnionBank’s all-out approach to digital transformation is setting an example that other banks will choose to follow. Throughout its onward march of progress, UnionBank has remained committed to its customers and staff, ensuring that not one of them is left behind.

UnionBank’s “moonshot” determination to undergo a complete digital transformation pervades the entire organization, not only the IT Department. UnionBankers are united in their vision for “making the diff” for their customers and wider communities by excelling in innovative products and services. In our interview, we discussed the bank’s progress with leaders from four separate areas of this ambitious Philippine bank.