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Data, Research Notes, Reports, Discussion Slides, Proceedings Reports, Comments and Related Interviews

Case Study
SeABank virtualises core banking system to augment infrastructure scalability and flexibility
The bank implemented an enterprise-wide virtualisation of its core banking platform; virtualising 90% of its host servers to the cloud in a pioneering innovation strategy.
Opinion
Further liberalisation of interest rates the way forward for China’s economy
Not only will the interest rate reform spur economic growth, it will also provide a level playing field for banks in the country.
Interviews
"BCA retained its core competences through sound management"
Djohan Emir Setijoso, President Commissioner, Bank Central Asia, discusses his formative years as a banker, taking BCA public and diversifying the bank's business portfolio.
Interviews
"The bank was given clear direction and close oversight"
Khalid Sherwani, CEO, Allied Bank Pakistan, discusses the bank’s recapitalisation and reconstruction, as well as its initiatives in recent times.
Research Note
RBI raises provisions on banks’ restructured loans to curb prevailing NPLs
Indian banks’ non-performing loan ratio grew to 3.1% in FY 2012, posing an increased threat to bank liquidity and profitability levels.
Interviews
"A core-system change is complicated at the best of times"
David Hisco, CEO, ANZ Bank New Zealand, discusses the challenges of navigating the bank through both core system and brand changes.
Opinion
Cybercrime defence spending in Asia Pacific looks set to rise as attacks increase
With the cost of cybercrime tools falling and use of digital and mobile technologies proliferating, financial institutions that are inadequately protected could well end up paying a heavy price.
Interviews
"Our employees have been the pillar of this organisation"
Dato' Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, Chairman and former CEO, Maybank Malaysia discusses the bank’s greatest assets – its staff, regional strategies, and support from shareholders and the public.
Interviews
"We have enhanced the quality of risk management"
Truong Van Phuoc, Vice Chairman and CEO, Vietnam Export Import Commercial Joint Stock Bank, discusses overcoming the country’s financial troubles of the past, and the bank’s approach to risk management.
Interviews
"The SME sector is the most vibrant in Bangladesh’s economy"
Date: Jun 12, 2013
Author: Editorial
Categories: Retail Banking, SME Banking, SME Banking
Keywords: Syed Rahman, BRAC Bank, Asian Banker Summit 2013
Syed Rahman, MD and CEO, BRAC Bank Bangladesh, discusses the bank’s main attributes and its bid to further drive SME financing to boost growth.
Opinion
China's latest AML guidelines to help authorities clamp down on large organised crime rings
Date: Jun 12, 2013
Author: Michael Thomas
Categories: China, Regulation, Risk and Regulation
Keywords: Michael Thomas, Wolters Kluwer, PBoC, AML, CAMLMAC, FATF
Michael Thomas, director at Wolters Kluwer Financial Services, North Asia, feels that the country’s latest AML regulation will mean added costs for FIs, which may struggle to comply.
Case Study
DBS Bank protects customers from fraud events using CEP technology
The bank ’s complex event processing technology has also opened up opportunities for more targeted customer engagement and improved service delivery.
Proceedings Report
Relationship-focus advantage drives banks to integrate CRM with mobile platform
Proceedings report from The Asian Banker teleconsultation session, "Customer engagement in the new digital and mobile enabled world” on key focus areas and trends in multichannel digital banking.
Research Note
Increased debit card uptake in South Korea drives down credit card growth margin
Date: Jun 07, 2013
Author: Wendy Weng
Categories: Cards, Consumer Finance, Databook, Retail Banking, South Korea
Keywords: FSC, FSS
Growth in total credit card transaction value rose a mere 3.9% to $524.8m in 2012, much slower than the 9.5% growth notched in 2011.
Opinion
Bank boards must take hands-on approach to risk management framework setup
Frederic Bertholon-Lampiris, director at Deloitte Singapore’s Financial Services Industry practice, feels that a robust risk appetite framework and an integrated stress testing programme are essential risk management components.
Research Note
Renminbi gaining traction as an international currency
Date: Jun 03, 2013
Author: Baron Laudermilk
Categories: China, Hong Kong, Rmb, Trade Finance, Transaction Banking
Keywords: SWIFT, PBoC, Wim Raymaekers, Switzerland
The renminbi is currently ranked as the 13th payment currency in the world, up seven places from July 2012-April 2013.
Opinion
Database performance key to algorithmic trading and risk management
Chris Burke, director of Asia Pacific for Kx Systems, examines some of the essential building blocks for algorithmic trading, and argues that form must follow function.
Proceedings Report
Chinese banks refine retail banking strategies to better capture target market
Proceedings report from The Asian Banker's China International Banking Convention 2013, on channel innovation and the changing payment landscape in China and Asia Pacific.
Research Note
Vietnamese banks favour ATM alliance to minimise costs
Despite the growing number of banks cards in issue in Vietnam, domestic banks have been slow to expand their ATM networks.
Case Study
DBS streamlines customer experience across key markets through pan-regional CRM platform
The bank rolled-out a regional CRM platform with rationalised and standardised business functionalities in Taiwan, China, India, Hong Kong and Indonesia.
Opinion
Indian banks must harness risk management instruments to better tackle market risks
Banks in India lack robust risk management technology infrastructure and are thus underprepared to tackle the myriad of risks faced in the international marketplace of today.
Research Note
Chinese banks enhancing direct banking channels to cater to increased demand
Although 60% of domestic banking customers are shifting to more direct banking methods, most would still want access to physical branches.
Interviews
Wipro Technologies targets Asia Pacific loan origination market with new Lend Value suite
Suresh Raman, Asia Pacific & Japan banking group head at Wipro Technologies explains how the company offers both a differentiated product and service for lending technologies.
Opinion
Chinese banks must be able to adapt to current market dynamics to stay competitive
Remarks by Fan Wenzhong, director general, international department, CBRC, at the China International Banking Convention 2013, on the changing banking landscape in China.
Proceedings Report
"More governance, less government" underpins effective risk management
Proceedings report from the Risk Games Conference 2013, held in conjunction with The Asian Banker Summit 2013 on flawed post-crisis regulatory changes.
Opinion
Shift in consumer behavioural patterns affecting banks’ Big Data usage
Banks will need to better direct the appropriate promotions, deals or product options to customers in line with their past habits, if they are to turn an average customer into a loyal one.
Case Study
Cathay United Bank remodels data warehouse to facilitate a single version of truth
The bank successfully partnered with Teradata to implement an enterprise-wide Data Management Infrastructure, improving analysis efficiency and risk control capabilities.
Proceedings Report
Customer centricity, accessibility and analytics key consumer channel trends in Asia Pacific
Proceedings report from the Technology Decision Makers Conference 2013, held in conjunction with The Asian Banker Summit 2013 on new strategies in bank channels, distribution, and customer management.
Research Note
Hong Kong's Rmb RTGS system supports its role as global Rmb clearing and settlement platform
Hong Kong handles 84.6% of offshore Rmb trade settlements, with demand for offshore Rmb financing and investments on the rise.
Proceedings Report
Chinese banks seek to learn from US counterparts to achieve Basel III compliance
Proceedings report from The Asian Banker’s dialogue on "Building a Strong and Stable Bank- The Role of the CEO in Risk Management” on the complexities of Basel III rules.
Opinion
Are Reinhart and Rogoff’s coding errors a mistake too far?
The accuracy of Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff’s “Growth in a Time of Debt” research paper has been called into question, as the austerity policies backed by their findings become a hotly debated topic.
Proceedings Report
Key drivers behind Chinese banks going international
Proceedings report from The Asian Banker’s dialogue on "Building the International Presence of Chinese Banks" on key factors affecting the competitiveness of Chinese banks in a global environment.
Proceedings Report
New technologies and innovation make outsourcing considerations more complex
Proceedings report from the SMU Technology Decision Makers Training 2013, held in conjunction with The Asian Banker Summit 2013 on vendor outsourcing strategies and banking analytics trends.
Proceedings Report
Full participation integral to financial integration in ASEAN
Proceedings report from the International Banking Conference 2013, held in conjunction with The Asian Banker Summit 2013 on ASEAN financial integration and the transaction banking industry today.
Research Note
Hong Kong banks must deliver a needs-based selling approach to build customer loyalty
Date: May 07, 2013
Author: Research
Categories: Deposits and Liabilities, Hong Kong, Retail Banking, Wealth Management
Keywords: BEA, Hang Seng Bank, BoC, HSBC
Banks’ core retail deposit generation ability at branch level linked with strength of franchise and customer trust.
Opinion
Evolution of the intelligent flow monster in trading
Steve Grob, director of group strategy at Fidessa, explains how playing the scale game successfully within the trading environment will increasingly depend on a changing and more intelligent relationship with technology.
Opinion
International bank regulation: Right or wrong track?
William “Bill” Isaac, former chairman, FDIC, in his keynote at the 14th Asian Banker Summit, spoke on smarter regulation, greater market discipline, reducing moral hazard, and ending too big to fail.
Opinion
Financial stability: Incentives matter
Remarks by Thomas Hoenig, vice chairman, FDIC, at the 14th Asian Banker Summit, Jakarta, on threats to financial stability, and management incentives and outcomes.
Survey
Can the financial community in Asia rise to the challenges of regional integration?
Recent market and regulatory changes in the banking industry have accentuated the need for bankers to seize opportunities and weather challenges.
Opinion
China must foster inter-region trust and confidence to further Rmb growth
With China’s growing importance as a trading partner in Asia, its ambitions for a bigger role for the Rmb in the international stage may soon be realised.
Research Note
Australian banks shift channel focus showing slower growth in traditional channels usage
With the positive take-up rate amongst Australian retail customers, mobile banking will be instrumental in altering the way bank branches are used going forward.
Research Note
Affordability the key paradigm in long-term debt sustenance in consumer lending in Saudi Arabia
Date: Apr 24, 2013
Author: Research
Categories: Mortgage, Retail Banking, Saudi Arabia
Keywords: Eisa Al Eisa, Samba Financial Group, Citibank
Having grown its market share in the mortgage business over the last four years, Samba Financial Group plans to transform itself into a diversified retail banking player.
Case Study
Kasikornbank enables convenience for partner merchants through new mobile solution launch
Kasikornbank expects to win over around 20,000 card-accepting smart-phones and tablets in 2013, of the 50,000 additional merchants it aims to capture over a similar period.
Interviews
US banking authorities must impose enhanced market discipline on larger banks
Date: Apr 23, 2013
Author: Foo Boon Ping
Categories: Regulation, Risk and Regulation
Keywords: William Isaac, FDIC, Dodd-Frank Act, TARP, Systemic Risk
William Isaac, former chairman of FDIC discusses how US financial regulators failed to perform the very roles they were created for in recent times.
Opinion
Safety nets must be implemented judiciously to ensure stability of the global financial system
Thomas Hoenig, vice chairman of FDIC advocates for more useful and transparent capital standards that allow for greater comparability among all global and domestic financial firms.
Opinion
Overcoming the effects of global economic and regulatory changes
As banks seek to further their growth strategies, they must be able to cope with complexities of regulatory compliance, technology and operations as well as risk management requirements.
Interviews
The integration of payment information with transaction could change the nature of banking
Brett King, CEO and founder of Moven, discusses the bank’s revolutionary strategy that places mobile phones at the core of a fully mobilised bank.
Proceedings Report
Are bank branches still relevant in the mobile and digital world today?
Proceedings report from The Asian Banker’s "Excellence in Retail Financial Services Conference 2013” on banks’ latest channels and technologies to acquire, retain and maximise revenue from customers in retail banking.
Interviews
OCBC enhances data analytics capabilities to drive business value
Donald MacDonald, head of OCBC’s group consumer analytics and decisioning division, discusses the bank’s data analytics capabilities and its focus on value-added initiatives.
Case Study
HBRCC’s new core banking system improves IT and business functions
Hubei Rural Credit Cooperative implemented TCSFS’s BaNCS core banking system to increase transaction times and become more market-driven and customer-centric.
Interviews
China Minsheng Bank creates scale and diversifies risks to drive profitability
Dong Wenbiao, chairman of China Minsheng Bank, discusses the reorganisation of the bank’s main business lines and redefines the rules of the game for MSE businesses.
Opinion
Trade repositories key to understanding exposures
Michael Bodson, president and CEO of DTCC feels that as derivatives are a global business, the ability to provide regulators with immediate access to a global data set is crucial.
Interviews
ANZ regional strategy centres on four core aspects of focus
Sanjoy Sen, ANZ head of consumer banking for the Asia Pacific region discusses the strategy that underpins ANZ’s retail franchise.
Research Note
Heightened regulations and changing consumer mind-set challenge retail banking growth
Retail banks in the Middle East and Asia Pacific will need to quickly shift from being account-focused to becoming more customer-centric so as to stay ahead of the curve.
Opinion
Open Bank Resolution – an option for banks that are ‘too big to fail’
This concept, which allows failed SIFIs to remain open for business, ensures liquidity and minimises disruption costs within the banking sector.
Case Study
One Click Mortgage solution enables greater cost-efficiency for Hana Bank
Hana Bank’s One Click Mortgage is the only online mortgage product to date, in the South Korean market, that offers full online functionality – from e-application to e-closing.
Proceedings Report
Interviews
Temenos looks for local partnerships to drive future growth in China and Japan
David Arnott, CEO of Temenos, discusses the company’s strategy for growth in Asia.
Research Note
Singaporean banks’ lacklustre 2012 performances hint at ongoing recovery
Date: Mar 07, 2013
Author: Research
Categories: Private Banking, Retail Banking, Singapore
Keywords: DBS, UOB, OCBC, POSB
The future of retail financial services in the island-state points to compressed margins and even lower top line growth.
Research Note
Chinese banks' matured approach to IT partnerships bodes well for domestic financial eco-system
Chinese banks now look at five decisive factors when selecting prospective IT partners – brand, work history, committed resources, quality of service, and cost.
Case Study
NBAD achieves top credit ratings in Middle East through robust risk management
Date: Mar 05, 2013
Author: Esther Tan
Categories: Credit Risk, Risk and Regulation, UAE
Keywords: NBAD, RQA, LRM, EC, Abhijit Choudhury
NBAD enhanced its credit risk management systems and strengthened its enterprise-wide credit risk framework, with better than average credit ratios justifying its actions.
Case Study
OCBC’s AutoROME implementation led to improved customer service quality and productivity
AutoROME successfully improved OCBC's customer experience at the bank account opening stage while increasing opportunities for cross-selling.
Opinion
Simplicity, risk sensitivity and comparability: The regulatory balancing act
Date: Feb 27, 2013
Author: Wayne Byres
Categories: Basel III, Regulation, Risk and Regulation
Keywords: BCBS, Wayne Byers, Capital Adequacy, Basel II, Basel I, LVR
Wayne Byres, secretary general of BCBS, feels that banks today cannot operate anywhere near as effectively without models for pricing and risk management.
Opinion
Asian banks embracing gamification in social media and Internet banking
Financial institutions have been toying with gamification techniques for the last ten years. Is Asia ready to take the leap?
Interviews
Basel III framework may not always accurately represent capital strength
Date: Feb 21, 2013
Author: Foo Boon Ping
Categories: Basel III, Regulation, Risk and Regulation, Singapore
Keywords: DBS, Chng Sok Hui, AVC, CVA, BCBS, Stefan Ingves
Chng Sok Hui, CFO of Singapore's DBS, discusses the impact of new capital rules on Asian banks, how BCBS seeks to address them, and the need for local adaptation.
Research Note
Mobile banking shifting priorities from transactional to interactional services
Banks will have to work harder to deliver value around convenience and simplicity while addressing ongoing issues of security.
Research Note
Asia Pacific banking industry outlook 2013
Regional economies are generally sound, with good long term prospects. While Asian banks grapple with new capital rules in the short term, they are likely to withstand long term stress to their operations.
Interviews
Opportunity for Asia to capitalise on lessons from market integration initiatives in Europe
Satvinder Singh, global head of trust and securities services and cash management for financial institutions at Deutsche Bank discusses how the bank seeks to help customers negotiate the “new normal”.
Interviews
Making sense of risk management
Chng Sok Hui, CFO of Singapore's DBS, discusses the challenges and importance of bringing multiple functions together as part of an integrated risk management framework.
Case Study
China CITIC Bank employs data-oriented strategy to activate dormant card accounts
China CITIC Bank’s credit card activation rates improved 389% since implementing SAS’ marketing campaign, designed to improve credit card management.
Interviews
VIDEO: “Real innovation takes place on the edge of transformation”
John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and PepsiCo discusses building a sustainable business operating model, mastering the distribution network, and lessons learned from his experience as CEO.
Opinion
Substantial vulnerabilities and downside risks persist in the global economy
Agustin Carstens, governor of Banco de Mexico, feels that the international financial community, as a whole, must enhance its capability to better respond to future crises.
Proceedings Report
Banks must be prepared for increased regulatory demands to remain competitive
Proceedings report from The Asian Banker teleconsultation session, "Basel III and beyond - An Overview and Response to Regulatory Changes.”
Interviews
E.Sun Bank casts gaze to Southeast Asia and China to deliver future growth
Joseph Huang, president of E.Sun Bank, discusses the bank’s strategies to boost market share and capture additional revenue growth.
Opinion
“When it comes to reform, ideas and implementation go together”
Date: Jan 30, 2013
Author: Stefan Ingves
Categories: Basel III, Regulation, Risk and Regulation
Keywords: BCBS, LCA, NSFR, G20, G-SIB, RCAP, Risk Weighted Assets
Stefan Ingves, chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, feels that getting the technical details correct rather than new far-reaching ideas is taking an increasingly prominent place.
Interviews
Interview transcript: John Sculley, former CEO, Apple and PepsiCo
John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and PepsiCo, discusses building a sustainable business operating model, mastering the distribution network, and lessons learned from his experience as CEO.
Research Note
Kenyan banks struggle to break Safaricom’s mobile banking space monopoly
A lack of specific financial regulations governing telecommunication operators has contributed to m-Pesa’s explosive growth.
Interviews
Cloud computing gaining momentum as banks seek alternative outsourcing arrangements
Anshuman Singh, CTO, Enterprise Services of HP Asia Pacific and Japan discusses how cloud computing is changing the dynamics of the financial services industry.
Research Note
M-commerce, P2P payments and dynamic personalisation key issues for mobile banking in 2013
Citibank India enabled NFC mobile payments in 2009 and is now banking on m-commerce and P2P payments, while Bank of East Asia believes dynamic personalisation is the next big thing.




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