Trade finance is emerging as a key part of the Latin American banking business model and is bound to be a hot topic on the agenda at this year's Felaban annual meeting being held in Colombia in November. Ahead of this, The Banker speaks to experts about the challenges and opportunities that this growing business line is creating in the Latin American market.
Citi launched a new division at the end of last year to combine prime finance, futures and clearing, custody, and fund services. Its global head, Okan Pekin, discusses why the change will put Citi ahead of its rivals and how it will enable the bank to win more business from hedge funds.
The Chinese government and the People’s Bank of China are yet to disclose the formal details concerning China’s International Payment Platform, but there is little doubt that the new system will fundamentally change the renminbi clearing market as well as the future of offshore renminbi hubs.
Jane Cooper, The Banker’s technology and transaction banking editor, talks to Helen Mason, head of bank partnerships, and Nick Blake, head of sales, at RBS’s global transaction services division, and asks them what they are expecting from their first visit to Sibos as part of the new RBS team.
Since joining DBS Bank in 2010, Tom McCabe, head of global transaction services (GTS), has seen the GTS business pass the $1bn revenue mark. He describes how this success is a result of the bank's positive working environment, which enables individuals to build a "personal legacy".
Cash management is growing in importance, but negative interest rates, the regulatory fallout from the financial crisis and an increasingly complex political landscape are colluding to make life difficult for transaction bankers and corporate treasurers.