I-Bytes Banking Industry

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I-Bytes
Banking
December Edition 2019
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Table of Contents
1. Financial, M & A Updates..................................................................................................................................1
2. Solution Updates................................................................................................................................................17
3. Rewards and Recognition Updates..................................................................................................................24
4. Customer Success Updates...............................................................................................................................52
5. Partnership Ecosystem Updates......................................................................................................................56
6. Miscellaneous Updates.....................................................................................................................................76
7. Event Updates...................................................................................................................................................85

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Financial, M & A Updates
Banking Industry

Financial, M&A Updates
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BMO Financial Group Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal
2019 Results
Fourth Quarter 2019 Compared with Fourth Quarter 2018:
• Net income4,5 of $ 1,194 million, down 30%, reflecting a restructuring charge in
the current quarter and a benefit from the remeasurement of an employee benefit
liability in the prior year; adjusted net income1 of $ 1,607 million, up 5%
• EPS2 of $ 1.78, down 31%; adjusted EPS1 of $ 2.43, up 5%
• Revenue, net of CCPB3,4, of $ 5,752 million, up 5%; revenue, net of adjusted
CCPB1, of $5,777 million, up 5%
• Provision for credit losses (PCL) of $ 253 million compared with $ 175 million in
the prior year; includes PCL on performing loans of $22 million
• ROE of 9.9%, compared with 16.1 %; adjusted ROE1 of 13.5 %, compared with
14.5
• Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio of 11.4%
• Dividend increased $0.03 to $1.06, up 6% from the prior year
Fiscal 2019 Compared with Fiscal 2018:
• Net income4,5 of $ 5,758 million, up 6%; adjusted net income1 of $ 6,249
million, up 4%
• EPS2 of $ 8.66, up 6%; adjusted EPS1 of $ 9.43, up 5%
• Revenue, net of CCPB3,4, of $ 22,774 million, up 6%
• PCL of $ 872 million compared with $ 662 million in the prior year; includes PCL
on performing loans of $121 million
• ROE of 12.6% compared with 13.3%; adjusted ROE1 of 13.7 % compared with
14.6 %
Executive Commentary
"BMO finished the year with very strong performance, delivering $1.6 billion in
adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per share of $2.43 in the fourth quarter,
up 5% year-over-year, with pre-provision pre-tax earnings growth of 11%,
driven by positive operating leverage in all businesses and particularly strong
operating performance in Personal and Commercial banking in both Canada and
the U.S.," said Chief Executive Officer, BMO Financial Group. Our results for
the year reflect the strength and quality of our diversified businesses. Adjusted
earnings per share were $9.43, up 5% from last year. We continued to make
significant progress on our strategic priorities and delivered annual earnings
growth of 23% in our U.S. business. With a clear bank-wide focus on
disciplined expense management, we continued to improve our overall
efficiency ratio with 130 basis points of improvement in the past two years and
good momentum throughout the year. We have a number of initiatives
underway, including today's announcement of a restructuring charge, that will
serve to accelerate our momentum and help us meet our efficiency objectives
over the long-term. In addition, we gained market share in key areas, including
commercial lending and retail deposits, in Canada and the U.S. Our credit
performance remains good and we ended the year with a strong CET1 capital
ratio of 11.4%."
Description
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Scotiabank reports fourth quarter and 2019 results
• Scotiabank reported net income of $8,798 million in 2019, compared with net income of $8,724 million
in 2018. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) was $6.68, compared to $6.82 in the previous year. Return on
equity was 13.1%, compared to 14.5% in the previous year.
• Adjusting for the Acquisition and divestiture-related amounts(1) of $611 million after tax ($593 million
pre-tax), net income increased 3% to $9,409 million and EPS rose to $7.14 from $7.11 in the previous
year.
• Reported net income for the fourth quarter ended October 31, 2019 was $2,308 million compared to
$2,271 million in the same period last year. Diluted earnings per share was $1.73, compared to $1.71 in
the same period a year ago. Return on equity was 13.3% compared to 13.8% a year ago.
• Adjusting for Acquisition and divestiture-related amounts(1), net income increased 2% to $2,400 million
and EPS rose to $1.82 from $1.77 last year.
• Canadian Banking generated earnings of $4,424 million in 2019 driven by solid asset and deposit
growth, margin expansion, and higher wealth management earnings. Canadian Banking continued to
deliver an excellent customer experience across our businesses and channels and strengthened its product
suite throughout the year.
• International Banking delivered another strong year of double-digit earnings growth with reported
earnings of $3,387 million in 2019. The business successfully integrated a number of acquisitions this
year, delivering better than expected synergies. Our geographic re-positioning efforts are substantially
complete, giving us greater scale, lower operating risk, and more opportunities for growth.
• Global Banking and Markets reported earnings of $1,534 million in 2019, with double-digit asset
growth and stronger performance in the second half of the year in our capital markets business.
• The Bank's Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio remains strong at 11.1%, or 11.55% on a pro-forma
basis including the impact of announced divestitures, with strong internal capital generation, and prudent
growth of risk weighted assets, while buying back 15 million shares this year.
"We delivered improved fourth quarter results to end a productive year for the Bank. In 2019, we
made significant progress against our strategic objectives by sharpening our geographic footprint and
improving our business mix. We've also invested heavily in our people, processes, and technology to
better position the Bank for success over the long-term," said Brian Porter, President and CEO of
Scotiabank.
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CIBC (Canada) Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2019
Results
• CIBC's results for the fourth quarter of 2019 were affected by the following items of note
aggregating to a negative impact of $0.26 per share:
• $135 million ($135 million after-tax, or $0.30 per share) goodwill impairment charge
related to the expected sale of our controlling interest in FirstCaribbean International Bank
Limited;
• $67 million ($49 million after-tax, or $0.11 per share) interest income related to the
settlement of certain income tax matters;
• $28 million ($21 million after-tax, or $0.05 per share) increase in legal provisions;
• 28 million ($20 million after-tax, or $0.04 per share) amortization of acquisition-related
intangible assets; and
• $16 million ($11 million after-tax net positive impact, or $0.02 per share) in purchase
accounting adjustments net of transaction and integration-related costs associated with the
acquisitions of The PrivateBank, Geneva Advisors and Wellington Financial.
• CIBC's capital ratios were strong, with a Basel III CET1 ratio of 11.6% as noted above,
and Tier 1 and Total capital ratios of 12.9% and 15.0%, respectively, at October 31, 2019;
• Market risk, as measured by average Value-at-Risk, was $5.7 million in 2019 compared
with $5.3 million in 2018;
• We continued to have solid credit performance, with CIBC's loan loss ratio of 29 basis
points compared with 26 basis points in 2018;
• CIBC's liquidity coverage ratio was 125% for the three months ended October 31, 2019;
and
• CIBC's leverage ratio was 4.3% at October 31, 2019.
"We remain focused on creating long-term value for all our stakeholders," says CIBC
President and Chief Executive Officer. "In 2019, we continued to execute on our
client-focused strategy by improving client experience and investing to build a
relationship-oriented bank for a modern world."
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CIMB Group (Malaysia) Announces Net Profit For First Nine
Months Of 2019
• Profit Before Tax (“PBT”) of RM4.90 billion for the first 9 months of 2019 (“9M19”), translating to a net
Earnings Per Share (“EPS”) of 38.4 sen. This was underpinned by the Group’s strong operating income, steady
loan growth and reduced provisions.
• The Group recorded a strong operating income (+7.2% YoY) at RM13.27 billion, underpinned by growth in
net interest income (“NII”) and non-interest income (“NOII”). NII grew 5.0% YoY to RM9.31 billion from the
5.6% loan growth, while the 12.8% improvement in NOII to RM3.96 billion came largely on the back of
improved capital market activity. Net Interest Margin (“NIM”) slightly declined to 2.47% in 9M19 (cf. 2.52%
in 9M18), mainly from the spread compression in Malaysia and Thailand.
• Loan loss provisions declined 9.8% to RM1.03 billion, equivalent to a loan loss charge of 0.38%. The Group’s
9M19 net profit grew 4.9% YoY to RM3.71 billion or an annualised Return On average Equity (“ROE”) of
9.1%. These numbers exclude the one-off RM928 million gain from the partial sale of CIMB-Principal Asset
Management (“CPAM”) and CIMB-Principal Islamic Asset Management (“CPIAM”) in 9M18.
• The Group’s total gross loans grew by 5.6% YoY, with strong growth posted by Thailand (+9.0%) and
Malaysia (+4.5%). Total deposits were 7.3% higher YoY, contributed by Malaysia (+8.9%) and Thailand
(+6.1%). The Loan to Deposit Ratio (“LDR”) stood at 91.6% (cf. 93.1% at Sep-18), reflecting a strong liquidity
position, with our CASA ratio strengthening to 34.3%. The Group’s gross impairment ratio stood at 3.2% as at
end-September 2019, with an allowance coverage of 94.8%.
• The Group’s Commercial Banking PBT rose by 102.4% YoY to RM1.37 billion underpinned by significantly
lower provisions and improved NOII. PBT at the Group’s Wholesale Banking division increased by 16.7% YoY
to RM1.50 billion from lower corporate provisions and improved capital market activity which brought about a
14.2% growth in NOII. The OPR cut in Malaysia and increased provisions from MFRS9-related effects had an
impact on the Group’s Consumer Banking with PBT declining 36.2% YoY to RM1.35 billion in 9M19.
• CIMB Islamic 9M19 PBT increased by 24.5% YoY to RM945.3 million, driven by a strong 20.9% growth in
operating income and 59.2% lower provisions. CIMB Islamic’s gross financing assets rose 8.5% YoY to
RM76.9 billion, accounting for 21.3% of the Group’s total gross loans. Total deposits (including investment
account) increased by 16.7% YoY to RM86.5 billion. CIMB’s “Islamic First” initiative continues to drive the
business in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Group CEO, CIMB Group said, “We are pleased to see the Group’s underlying performance remaining
strong despite the challenging environment. The better performance was driven by higher net interest
income and non-interest income, coupled with lower provisions. Our balance sheet growth remained
strong with loans and deposits growing steadily, driven by our Malaysian Consumer business”.
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Crédit Agricole (France) CIB announces the completion of the
disposal of a 6.0% stake in BSF to Ripplewood
Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank announces that,
following the exercise by RAM Holdings I Ltd, an investment
vehicle controlled by Ripplewood Advisors LLC
(“Ripplewood”) of its right to purchase a 6.0% equity stake in
Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF) at a price of 30.00 Saudi Riyals per
share, it has completed the disposal of this 6.0% stake in BSF in
respect of which all regulatory approvals have been obtained.
The terms and conditions of the transaction are unchanged as
announced on 15th March 2019. Combined with the initial
disposal of a 4.9% equity stake to a Ripplewood led consortium
completed on April 29th 2019, this transaction will have a total
positive effect in excess of 15 basis points on the fully-loaded
CET1 ratio of Crédit Agricole S.A. and of over 10 basis points
on the fully-loaded CET1 ratio of Crédit Agricole Group (both
impacts compared to the situation as of 31/12/2018). Crédit
Agricole CIB still holds a 4.0% equity stake in BSF and will
remain opportunistic in evaluating any interest in the potential
disposal of this residual equity stake.
Speaking on Crédit Agricole’s commitment to Saudi Arabia,
Chief Executive Officer of Crédit Agricole CIB stated:
“Crédit Agricole CIB remains highly confident in Saudi
Arabia’s economic perspectives, in the wake of Vision 2030,
and plans to further develop its direct presence and extend its
activities in the country”.
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Bank OZK Announces Plans for Significant Investment in Solar
Energy Power Plant
Bank OZK announced plans for a significant investment for the construction of a solar power
plant which will provide enough renewable energy to power its new corporate headquarters and
up to 40 other Arkansas locations, according to Chief Administrative Officer and Executive
Director of Investor Relations. The Bank’s investment of over $6 million represents the largest
investment in renewable energy by an Arkansas-based financial services company to date. The
solar power plant, expected to be located in Central Arkansas, will be the third-largest
commercial solar facility dedicated to a private sector customer in the State of Arkansas, and
will have generating capacity of 4.8-megawatts DC of electricity. Scenic Hill Solar, LLC, of
North Little Rock, Arkansas, will develop and oversee construction of the solar power project
for the Bank, which will include approximately 12,000 solar panels on a single-axis tracking
system. Over the course of a year, the facility is expected to generate more than 8.1 million
kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to provide electricity for over 1,000 homes for 12 months.
Utilizing this solar energy power plant is expected to significantly shrink the Bank’s carbon
footprint by an estimated 160,000 tons of carbon dioxide over the next 30 years, equivalent to
the emissions of over 390 million passenger car miles. Design work will be finalized and
construction of the solar power plant will begin in 2020, pending approval of the Arkansas
Public Service Commission. The facility should begin generating electricity approximately six
months after all government approvals have been received. The Bank’s new corporate
headquarters building is nearing completion on a newly developed 44-acre campus at The
Ranch on Highway 10 in Little Rock. Upon its completion, a majority of the Bank’s staff at the
current headquarters will relocate to the new building. Occupancy of the new building is
expected to begin in the second quarter of 2020.
“Bank OZK is pleased to be at the forefront of our industry as we invest significantly in
environmentally responsible renewable energy to power our new headquarters in Little
Rock and up to 40 more Bank OZK offices in Arkansas. We recognize the importance of
investing in the environment and believe it will benefit our customers and our shareholders
alike. This renewable energy resource is nonpolluting and will give our Bank stable,
predictable energy costs for decades to come,” Chief Administrative Officer and Executive
Director of Investor Relations stated.
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Scotiabank announces the sale of its operations in the British Virgin Islands
to Republic Bank
7
Scotiabank announced that it has reached an agreement for the sale of 100% of its shares in Scotiabank
Limited to Republic Financial Holdings Limited. The agreement is subject to regulatory approval and
customary closing conditions. This transaction supports the Bank's strategic decision to focus on operations
across its footprint where it can achieve greater scale and deliver the best value for customers. Republic
Bank is a leading financial institution founded in 1837 in Trinidad & Tobago, providing a broad range of
financial services to individuals, corporate and institutional clients across the Caribbean. On October 31,
2019, Scotiabank completed the sale of its banking operations in Anguilla, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts &
Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten and St. Vincent & the Grenadines to Republic Bank.
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Credicorp Ltd. (Peru): Credicorp completes acquisition of microfinance bank
Bancompartir in Colombia
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Credicorp Ltd. announces that after obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals, it has completed, through its subsidiary Credicorp Holding
Colombia S.A.S., the acquisition of 77.46% of the capital stock of Banco Compartir S.A. (“Bancompartir”) for approximately USD 76 million.
Credicorp Ltd. had previously announced an agreement for this acquisition on June 28, 2019. Founded in 1985, Bancompartir is one of the top four
microfinance banks in Colombia with over 1,800 employees serving 450,000 customers across 106 branches nationwide. Bancompartir provides
microfinance and SME financing solutions to micro entrepreneurs and other underserved segments of the population, generating opportunity for
progress and quality of life improvement to thousands of families in Colombia. As of September 30, 2019, Bancompartir had a loan portfolio of USD
230 million, total deposits of USD 236 million and a book value of USD 46 million. This acquisition represents an important step to expand
Credicorp Ltd.’s microfinance business in Latin America. Colombia is one of the countries with the largest potential for microfinance, and with
Bancompartir and Encumbra, Credicorp Ltd. is well positioned to become a market leader. With this acquisition, Credicorp Ltd. has a combined
microfinance loan portfolio of USD 3.3 billion and over 2 million microfinance customers in Peru, Colombia and Bolivia. Credicorp Ltd is the
leading financial services holding company in Peru with presence in Chile, Colombia and Bolivia. Credicorp has a diversified business portfolio
organized into four lines of business: Universal Banking, through Banco de Credito del Peru - BCP and Banco de Credito de Bolivia; Microfinance,
through Mibanco and Encumbra; Insurance & Pension Funds, through Grupo Pacifico and Prima AFP; and Investment Banking & Wealth
Management, through Credicorp Capital, Wealth Management at BCP and Atlantic Security Bank.
Description

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CREDIT BANK OF MOSCOW has earned record-breaking IFRS net income
in 3Q2019
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• Net income for the first 9 months of 2019 was RUB 11.9 bln and RUB 9.7 bln for 3Q2019 alone, which is 35.3% more than in 3Q2018. That growth was driven by business expansion, improving risk
indicators and stronger efficiency indicators. Net income remains under pressure because the Bank's foreign currency-nominated perpetual subordinated Eurobonds have devaluated as the rouble has become
stronger compared to end-2018. Return on equity reached record-breaking 25.6% in 3Q2019.
• Net interest income was RUB 32.1 bln for 9M2019. Net interest margin was 2.1% for 9M2019, having widened to 2.6% in the third quarter as interest income rose by 10.0% compared to 3Q2018 to RUB
38.5 bln. Net interest income after provisions was RUB 29.2 bln for 9M2019.
• Net fee and commission income was RUB 8.5 bln in 9M2019, having declined by 4.9% yoy as settlement and wire transfer fees decreased – mainly because retail fees were trimmed down. Fee income
growth was mainly driven by cash operations, including cash collection, which rose by 24.0% to RUB 2.2 bln.
• Operating income (before provisions) was RUB 30.6 bln for 9M2019. Operating expense increased by 19.1% yoy to RUB 15.8 bln as payroll budget grew by 27.5% to RUB 11.0 bln due to general
expansion of the Bank’s business and labour market competition. In the third quarter, the Bank materially improved its operational efficiency: cost-to-income (CTI) ratio was 33.8%
• Total assets expanded by 1.8% ytd to RUB 2.2 tln, the main driver being the loan portfolio.
• Gross loan portfolio rose by 4.4% to RUB 772.6 bln in 9M2019. Corporate and retail loans represented 86.4% and 14.6%, respectively, of the total loan portfolio. The corporate loan portfolio expanded by
3.8% (7.1% net of currency revaluation) in 9M2019 to RUB 667.8 bln thanks to the RUB 63.7 bln (10.6%) growth in 3Q2019. The retail loan portfolio increased by 8.5% to 104.8 RUB bln as unsecured
consumer lending rose by 7.6% to RUB 77.7 bln and mortgage lending by 13.0% to RUB 23.4 bln.
• Loan portfolio quality is maintained at a stable high level, as evidenced by a reduction in the cost of risk by 0.9 pp in 3Q2019 to 0.8%. The NPL90+ coverage ratio was 130.4%. The share of
non-performing loans (NPL 90+) in the gross loan portfolio increased by 2.1 pp ytd to 3.7%, having declined by 0.2 pp in 3Q2019. Its increase in the first half-year was due to the deteriorated financial
condition of a large corporate borrower, whose risk level was revised downwards in the third quarter, which, among other factors, decreased the cost of risk.
• Customer deposits, which represent 63.9% of the Bank’s total liabilities or RUB 1,269.0 bln, remained at the 2018YE level, having grown, however, by 5.3% in 3Q. Retail deposits increased by 22.4% ytd
to RUB 459.2 bln, the growth being observed in both term and demand deposits. Corporate deposits shrank by 9.7% ytd to RUB 809.8 bln, but expanded by 5.5% in 3Q. The ratio of net loans to deposits was
58.0% for the first nine months of 2019.
• The Basel III capital adequacy ratio remained at a high level of 20.2% and the Tier I capital ratio was 13.3%. The Bank’s total capital according to the Basel III standards increased by 1.0% ytd to RUB
300.3 bln mainly owing to the growth of retained earnings by 12.4% to RUB 80.5 bln.
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First Citizens Bank (USA) and Entegra Bank Announce Receipt of
Regulatory Approvals for Merger
First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company and Entegra Financial Corp.
announced that First Citizens Bank's previously announced proposal to
acquire Entegra and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Entegra Bank, has
received the required regulatory approvals from the Board of Governors of
the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
and the Office of the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks. No further
regulatory approvals are required to complete the merger. Completion of
the proposed acquisition remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of
other closing conditions, and is expected to occur on or about Dec. 31,
2019. Entegra Financial Corp. is the holding company of Entegra Bank.
Entegra's common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Market under the
ticker symbol "ENFC." Entegra Bank operates a total of 18 branches
located throughout the Western North Carolina counties of Cherokee,
Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Polk and Transylvania; the
Upstate South Carolina counties of Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg;
and the North Georgia counties of Pickens and Hall.
Chairman and chief executive officer of First Citizens Bank said:
"We're excited to move toward completing the merger with Entegra
and to bring together complementary companies that share the same
core values, philosophies and commitment to excellent service. We
look forward to a smooth transition."
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INTL FCStone Inc. (USA) Reports Fiscal 2019 Fourth Quarter
Financial Results
• Interest income increased $14.8 million, or 39%, to $52.5 million in the fourth quarter compared to
$37.7 million in the prior year, primarily related to increases in volumes in our Debt Capital Markets
businesses and securities lending activities.
• Interest income in our Securities segment increased $13.2 million in the fourth quarter over the prior
year, to $34.9 million, of which $5.3 million was related to increased trading activity within our domestic
institutional dealer in fixed income securities and $7.8 million was related to an increase in conduit
securities lending activities.
• Average client equity in the Financial Agricultural (“Ag”) & Energy and Exchange-Traded Futures &
Options components of our Commercial Hedging and CES segments decreased 8% to $2.1 billion in the
fourth quarter compared to the prior year, however interest income in these businesses increased $0.1
million as compared to the prior year as a result of higher short term interest rates.
• Average money market / FDIC sweep client balances in our Correspondent Clearing business increased
13% to $849.9 million.
• Interest expense increased $15.5 million, or 61%, to $40.8 million in the fourth quarter compared to
$25.3 million in the prior year. During the fourth quarter and the prior year, interest expense directly
attributable to trading activities, including interest on short-term financing facilities of subsidiaries, was
$37.2 million and $22.4 million, respectively, and interest expense related to corporate funding purposes
was $3.6 million and $2.9 million, respectively.
• Total unallocated costs and other expenses increased $11.5 million to $53.1 million in the fourth quarter
compared to $41.6 million in the prior year. Compensation and benefits increased $6.0 million, or 27% to
$28.2 million in the fourth quarter compared to $22.2 million in the prior year, of which $0.6 million
relates to acquisitions and new business initiatives since October 1, 2018. Other non-compensation
expenses include $0.7 million in the fourth quarter related to acquisitions and new business initiatives
since October 1, 2018.
CEO of INTL FCStone Inc., stated, “This was the best annual result in our history, with all of our
businesses expanding their client footprint and increasing segment income. Our ROE was 15.5%,
which we believe to be a best in class result and empirical validation of our strategy. During fiscal
2019, organic growth was coupled with a number of targeted acquisitions which increased our
product offering and capabilities while expanding our client footprint. We believe our financial
platform connects our more than 20,000 commercial and institutional clients and over 80,0000 retail
accounts to more global markets and liquidity sources, across asset classes, than any of our
competitors. We are increasingly digitizing our platform to drive client engagement and better
leverage our global infrastructure, which we believe should drive the growth of our franchise.”
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INTL FCStone (USA) Agrees to Purchase Tellimer Group's broking
business
INTL FCStone Inc. announced that it has executed a definitive
sale and purchase agreement to acquire the brokerage
businesses of Tellimer Group. This transaction will involve
the purchase of Exotix Partners LLP, Tellimer Capital Ltd
(Nigeria) and the broking business of Tellimer Markets Inc.
The closing of this transaction is subject to limited conditions
including regulatory approval. Tellimer (formerly Exotix) has
been a leader for twenty years in providing institutional
investors, corporates, and governments access to the most
dynamic and complex financial markets in the world. With
offices in London, Dubai, Lagos and New York, the broking
business covers over 170 trading markets in Equities and
Fixed Income, specializing in emerging and frontier markets.
As part of the deal Tellimer's unique research will be
distributed to INTL's clients, to complement INTL FCStone's
Securities offering globally. The acquisition price is not
material to INTL FCStone Inc.
Head of Equities for INTL FCStone Inc. commented on the
news: "We're thrilled to incorporate Tellimer Group's
broking team and offerings into our extensive Securities
business globally. The addition expands our reach by
providing access to new markets, capabilities, and
specialized expertise. The capability of the broking business
fits extremely well with our existing equities and fixed
income businesses, and we believe the integration of our
product portfolio, global client base, and large balance sheet
will enhance INTL FCStone."
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Nordea (Sweden) to acquire SG Finans
Nordea has entered into an agreement with Société Générale to acquire all
shares in SG Finans AS (“SG Finans”) and intends to combine the business with
Nordea’s pan-Nordic finance company, Nordea Finance. SG Finans is a
Norwegian domiciled subsidiary of Société Générale and provides equipment
finance and factoring solutions. SG Finans has 360 employees and operates in
Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The acquisition of SG Finans fits well into
Nordea’s priority to focus on core business in the Nordics. The acquisition
supports Nordea’s new phase – to drive income growth initiatives, optimise
operational efficiency and create great customer experiences – communicated at
Nordea’s Capital Markets Day in October. The agreed purchase price for SG
Finans amounts to EUR 575 million which values the company at a
price-to-book multiple of 1.07x. The purchase price will be adjusted for the
equity generated up until closing. The transaction is expected to have a positive
impact on total annual income by about EUR 140 million and consume about
35-40 bp of the Common Equity Tier 1 ratio for the Nordea Group. The
transaction is also expected to result in a minor increase in the Nordea Group’s
earnings per share and return on equity.
“We are happy to announce this transaction. SG Finans runs a successful
business with very satisfied customers in three of our four home markets.
This acquisition strengthens our ability to advice and help small and
medium-sized corporates with their financial needs”, says President and
Group CEO of Nordea.
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RBC (Canada) announces sale of Eastern Caribbean banking
operations
Royal Bank of Canada announced it has entered into definitive
agreements to sell all banking operations in the Eastern Caribbean
to a consortium of indigenous banks within the region. The
transaction is subject to regulatory approval and other customary
closing conditions, and is expected to be finalized in the coming
months. The sale encompasses the branches of Royal Bank of
Canada in Antigua, Dominica, Montserrat, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts
and Nevis, as well as regional businesses operating under RBC
Royal Bank Holdings (EC) Limited in Nevis, Grenada and St.
Vincent and the Grenadines. Collectively, these operations are
referred to as “RBC Eastern Caribbean”. The consortium of five
financial entities purchasing includes: 1st National Bank of St.
Lucia, Antigua Commercial Bank Ltd., National Bank of
Dominica Ltd., the Bank of Montserrat and Bank of Nevis Ltd.
“Consistent with our strategy of being a competitive leader in
the markets where we operate, RBC is always evaluating
opportunities for our business. Earlier this year, we were
approached by a consortium of indigenous banks with their
proposal to acquire all RBC Eastern Caribbean operations,” said
Head, RBC Caribbean Banking. “After a review of our
operations and strategy, we determined this opportunity was a
good decision for the long-term future success of RBC
Caribbean, and also, that it aligned with our vision to help our
clients thrive and communities prosper.”
Description
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Societe Generale (France) announces an agreement for the sale of SG
Finans to Nordea
Societe Generale announces the signing of an agreement to sell SG Finans
AS, its equipment finance and factoring activities in Norway, Sweden and
Denmark, to Nordea Finance, the asset based finance & factoring arm of
Nordea Bank. Nordea is one of the largest financial services group in the
Nordics and serves customers in four home markets - Denmark, Finland,
Norway and Sweden. The completion of the transaction is subject to the
approval of the relevant local antitrust and financial supervisory authorities.
On completion, this transaction is expected to have a positive impact on the
Group’s CET1 ratio of around 10 basis points. The transaction will also have
a negative impact of around EUR 100 million on the Group’s 4th quarter
2019 results mainly due to goodwill impairment and fixed asset impairments.
The closing is expected to take place during the second half of 2020.
Alongside the transaction, Societe Generale Equipment Finance (SGEF) and
Nordea Finance have entered into a commercial partnership agreement that
would encompass the provision of mutual services in vendor solutions and
equipment finance. This partnership will leverage on the geographical
complementarity and combined strengths of the two institutions to offer a
wide range of products and services to international vendors that are clients
of equipment finance solutions.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Societe Generale group in charge of
International Retail Banking activities, Financial Services and Insurance,
comments: “With this agreement, Societe Generale makes once again a
major step in the execution of its refocusing plan and demonstrates its
ability to enter into long term partnerships. Societe Generale Equipment
Finance is a leading player in equipment finance and Societe Generale
will continue to leverage on SGEF’s ability to accompany its international
vendors and clients and support the real economy.”
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VTB Group (Russia) announces IFRS results for October and 10
months of 2019
• Total assets amounted to RUB 15.6 trillion as of 31 October 2019, up 5.7% year-to-date,
including growth of loans and advances to customers (hereafter before provision charge for
credit losses and other provisions) of 3.9% year-to-date to RUB 11.9 trillion.
• In 10M 2019 retail lending was the key growth driver having increased by 1.2% in October
and by 15.8% year-to-date. In October 2019 loan portfolio to legal entities decreased by 1.0%
due to repayment of several large exposures. In 10M 2019 loan portfolio to legal entities
decreased by 0.4%. At the same time the Group achieved robust loan growth in SME segment
where the loan book grew by 11.7% year-to-date (including SME assets of Vozrozhdenie Bank
as of 31 December 2018).
• As of 31 October 2019 the Group’s market share in Russia in corporate and retail lending
reached 19.0% (up 30 bps year-to-date) and 18.5%* (up 70 bps year-to-date), respectively.
• Deposits from legal entities increased by 3.0% in October and by 11.4% in 10M 2019, while
deposits from individuals increased by 0.9% in October and by 10.0% in 10M 2019
significantly outperforming the average market indicators.
• The share of customer funding in the Group’s total liabilities reached 82.4% as of 31 October
2019 (31 December 2018: 78.6%). Out of total funding from customers 42.0% was raised from
individuals as of 31 October 2019.
• As a result of accelerated growth of customer funding in 2019 the ratio of loan portfolio to
customer funding (LDR ratio) dropped to 96.5% as of 31 October 2019 (31 December 2018:
102.8%).
• As of 31 October 2019 the Group’s market share in Russia in corporate and retail funding was
21.7% (up 100 bps year-to-date) and 15.1% (up 110 bps year-to-date), respectively.
First Deputy President and Chairman of VTB Management Board, said: “We started the
fourth quarter with continuing improvement of core profitability on the backdrop of stable
asset quality, slowing down of costs growth and further strengthening of balance sheet
structure. The Group’s net profit reached RUB 147.6 billion in 10M 2019 which
corresponds to ROE of 11.4%, while in October 2019 net profit was RUB 19.6 billion
(ROE 14.3%). Gross customer loans increased by 3.9% year-to-date, while retail loans
grew by 15.8% and the share of retail loans in the total loan book reached 29.2%. Funding
from customers grew by 10.8% year-to-date and its share in the Group’s total liabilities rose
to 82.4%. The results of October and 10M 2019 support our full year net profit guidance of
RUB 200 billion”.
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Solutions Updates
Banking Industry

Solution Updates
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17
Solution Description
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), a leading financial institution, has launched a new digital banking proposition targeting millennials
called Smartbanking. Smartbanking features digital onboarding and a range of innovative products delivered through a dedicated
mobile banking app and intuitive online banking platform. Customers can open a Smartbanking without having to visit a branch, and
only schedule the delivery of the welcome pack and debit card at the time and place of their convenience. Customers can deposit funds
into their accounts immediately or carry out any routine transaction like transfers and paying bills, free of any fees. Pre-approved
customers can also apply for a personal finance through the Express finance feature on the application and can customise their
financing package and design a bespoke repayment programme based on their particular needs. In addition to that, Smartbanking
allows users to also 'text' payments to friends in their contact list simply by selecting a contact number or a moneysmart community
nickname for instant transfers. Smartbanking accounts are also linked directly to moneysmart.ae, the region's first digital community
for personal finance, where people can exchange information and advice with peers and experts. The moneysmart community carries
finance related articles, blogs and tips. The new digital banking proposition is part of ADIB's digital transformation strategy that saw
the launch of "Express Finance" through the ADIB mobile app, which provides qualifying customers with instant access to personal
finance. Customers can also now update their personal information such as their Emirates ID, Passport and contact details through the
app without having to visit the branch.

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The 'app' of BBVA, the first in Spain that allows its customers to initiate payments
from accounts of other banks
18
BBVA has taken another step in its services thanks to the possibilities currently offered by the PSD2 regulations. The entity has
become the first bank in Spain to allow its clients, both individuals and companies, to make payments from bank accounts of other
financial entities from the web or the 'app' of BBVA in just a few minutes. To hire and use this service, private customers have to
access the global position of their account in the 'app' or BBVA website and select the option 'your other banks'. With this service,
the BBVA client can control all movements of the aggregated accounts and, from now on, also request transfers from those
accounts. The keys to the operation are confidential. With the financial aggregator, private customers will gain time in their day to
day operations with their other banks from the same channel. In addition, they can also obtain a much broader picture of their
financial statement easily, conveniently and quickly so that no details of BBVA accounts and aggregate accounts of their other
banks are lost. At present, around 150,000 individuals already use this service. In the case of companies, BBVA customers can also
make payments, both on the web and in the 'app', from the accounts they have added from their other banks in BBVA One View ,
the smart aggregator for companies. This new service will allow them, among other advantages, to better manage their financial
day-to-day operations or resolve discoveries more efficiently. In addition, at a glance you can know the balance of all your accounts
and choose from which to make the payment, based on your cash forecast, without leaving the application , and all, with the same
user experience, in all Your banks

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Commerzbank (Germany), Credit Suisse and UBS execute first live transactions on
the Deutsche Börse-HQLAX securities lending platform
19
Deutsche Börse and HQLAX successfully launched their jointly developed Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) solution for
frictionless collateral swaps in the securities lending market. The live transactions were executed by Commerzbank, Credit Suisse
and UBS on the Eurex Repo F7-trading system. As part of these transactions, ownership of a basket of German government bonds
and a basket of corporate bonds was swapped between UBS and Commerzbank, both using Clearstream Banking S.A. as custodian.
This was followed by a cross-custodian swap between UBS and Credit Suisse, in which ownership of a basket of corporate bonds
at Clearstream Banking S.A. and a basket of German government bonds at Euroclear Bank was exchanged without the need for
securities to be physically moved between the collateral agents. Instead, the change in ownership was recorded on the digital
collateral registry, which is one of the four layers of the HQLAX operating model and was built on Corda Enterprise, the
commercial distribution of R3’s blockchain platform. In addition to Commerzbank, Credit Suisse and UBS, over 15 market
participants, including CIBC, Citi, Goldman Sachs and ING, are currently engaged in different phases of onboarding to the
HQLAX platform. Meanwhile, J.P. Morgan is in the process of becoming the third tri-party agent in the HQLAX operating model,
alongside Clearstream Banking S.A. and Euroclear Bank. This will add another important custody/collateral location to the
solution, further increasing collateral mobilisation efficiencies for participants.

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Credit Suisse (Switzerland) Goes Live with AccessFintech's Global Exception
Network
20
Credit Suisse announces the internal launch of AccessFintech's trading exception management solution. Following a
successful pilot, Credit Suisse has gone live with AccessFintech's Global Exception Network, taking an important step
towards streamlining exception management resolution across the Prime Brokerage industry. The new technology will
reduce the time needed to resolve exceptions and help clear bottlenecks that could prevent trade settlements. It will
promote better client servicing, minimize sanctions and reduce costs for all parties. This exception management solution
is now broadly accessible to financial market industry participants. It leverages a next generation technology platform
that standardizes and simplifies trading workflows across the buy and sell side, thereby enabling greater control, cost
reduction, transparency and collaboration to proactively address trade settlement issues. As the AccessFintech network
grows, the time required to resolve operational trading issues across the industry will be reduced, while the standard of
client service will continue to improve.

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Lloyds Bank (UK) launches pioneering British Sign Language online translation tool
21
Lloyds Bank is the first UK organisation to offer pop up sign language videos to translate online text. The new service will provide
easier access to essential financial information to break down some of the language barriers faced by Deaf customers. BSL is the
first language for many Deaf people with its own grammar and syntax which means that written material is often not accessible. It
is hoped that providing the online BSL videos will open up access to banking for deaf people and those with hearing impairments,
giving them with the ability to make informed financial decisions. The free service will allow customers to receive BSL
translations of the Lloyds Bank website using Signly Browser Extension assistive technology. The signed videos are pre-recorded
to cover the most popular Lloyds Bank webpages including information on products and services and online banking. Lloyds Bank,
Halifax and Bank of Scotland customers who are blind or have low vision can now connect securely with the bank through the Be
My Eyes app. The tool provides visual assistance for everyday tasks, including explaining bank statements, checking and
confirming transactions and managing money. Be My Eyes is a free mobile app for iOS and Android which has grown to become
the largest online community for people who are blind or have low vision across 150 countries. It works by giving users free access
to a network of sighted volunteers and company representatives who provide visual assistance for the task at hand. Access to the
help platform is available through a live video connection from the rear-facing camera on the customer’s smartphone using the Be
My Eyes smartphone app on either iOS or Android.

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QIB (Qatar) Enhances its Corporate Internet Banking Capabilities
22
As part of its strategy to continuously enhance its digital platforms, Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) has recently updated its Corporate
Internet Banking portal. The online portal was updated to address and specifically cater to the ever-changing banking needs for
large, medium and small Corporate customers. In addition to a highly secured passageway for the customers to conveniently
manage most of their daily banking needs without the need to visit a branch, the latest update includes several new innovative
features that are easy to use. By utilizing QIB’s Corporate Internet Banking platform, QIB’s corporate customers can benefit from
an overall reduction in banking administrative and procedure time required to complete banking tasks, since the platform provides
an instant, comprehensive and convenient experience. The updated portal allows QIB’s corporate customers to have full digital
control over their accounts through several new functionality enhancements. One of which is SWEEP – Liquidity Management,
which allows customers to set up instructions on the online portal to make end of day sweeping between accounts. Sweeping can be
set for full amount transfer or just a certain amount. With this feature, customers no longer have to send manual instructions to the
Bank to set up SWEEP, instead, they can simply do it online. With the addition of the new Auto Cover – Liquidity Management
function, customers no longer have to send manual instruction to the Bank to set up Auto Cover. Instead they can just use the online
portal to link two accounts, in order to make payments from one account and cover funds from another account instead of issuing
physical cheques. This will enable customers to manage their liquidity and maximize profit against account balance.

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Northern Trust (USA) Enhances Collateral Management Services to help Clients
Optimize Performance and Meet Margin Obligations
23
Northern Trust is expanding its collateral management services for over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives trading. The new functionality will
enable asset managers and institutional investors to outsource key aspects of regulatory compliance to Northern Trust and optimize collateral
selection – driving efficiencies in how they meet margin obligations. Northern Trust’s Margin Segregation Service will include new capabilities
that streamline complex processes for meeting uncleared margin rules, such as undertaking industry-standard electronic settlement messaging
and providing advanced collateral reporting. Clients can take advantage of the service to pledge assets from their trading account and place them
into segregated accounts for each broker, thereby retaining their investments with a single asset servicing provider for optimal efficiency,
consolidated record-keeping and oversight. Additionally, Northern Trust has partnered with risk and collateral management services expert
AcadiaSoft to provide an outsourced solution for collateral optimization calculating clients’ initial margin obligations, issuing margin demands
to clients’ brokers, and determining if and when margin is to be transferred. With this service, clients will have the ability to seamlessly optimize
collateral selection, using algorithmic technology to identify their best assets available to meet regulatory eligibility requirements. It will allow
only optimal assets to be deployed to meet margin obligations – helping optimize investment performance. Collectively, these capabilities may
enable Northern Trust’s clients to meet their obligations under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR), the United States’
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and equivalent global regulations. These advanced capabilities will be part of
Northern Trust’s comprehensive range of collateral, derivatives and liquidity management solutions. Clients can access these services globally,
either on a component basis – to complement their current in-house practices – or as part of a broader suite of collateral management solutions.

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Rewards & Recognition Updates
Banking Industry

R & R Updates
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Consecration: Attijariwafa bank group (Morocco) consolidates its leadership and
wins 2 new awards in London
24
During the 12th edition of the “African Banking Awards 2019” award ceremony by EMEA Finance Magazine, the
Attijariwafa bank group was awarded 2 excellence awards on December 5, London: "Best Moroccan bank of the year 2019"
for the 5th consecutive year. CBAO, for its part, was elected "Best bank in Senegal for the year 2019", and this for the 3rd
consecutive time. According to the benchmark British magazine, these 2 consecrations come to reward the progress made
by the Attijariwafa bank group in 2019, because it was able to balance its expansion and growth by taking risks into account
in a sometimes difficult context, and to offer its diversified customers new innovative products and services, excelling in
investment banking services. EMEA Finance magazine is an important periodical, based in London, which deals with the
financial sector in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, regions among the most dynamic and emerging in the world. EMEA
Finance, complete source of information for the finance sector in the EMEA region, is a periodical exclusively dedicated to
financial events, activities and successes linked to the international financial sector. EMEA Finance magazine is published
six times a year. Relevant and informative supplements that provide analysis and investigation of special topics are
frequently included with the magazine.
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Banco de Chile is recognized as the Company with the best Corporate Reputation
of the decade
25
Banco de Chile was chosen as the “Company with the best Corporate Reputation of the 2010-2019 decade”, according to the
study Merco Empresas y Líderes 2019, after having remained in the first places of the ranking in All versions of this period. In
addition, it remained in third place in the general ranking of companies 2019, thus consolidating its leadership in corporate
reputation. With this special recognition, the study prepared by the Corporate Reputation Business Monitor celebrates the first
application of the survey in Chile conducted in 2010, when Banco de Chile ranked first in the Banking and Financial
Institutions category and in seventh place in the general ranking. To prepare the ranking of the one hundred leading and most
respected companies in the country, 31,194 surveys were conducted on people from various sectors, such as business
executives, experts and opinion leaders, media representatives, consumers and workers, who answered a questionnaire open in
which they were free to vote for any company, regardless of size. They were asked to value companies in aspects such as their
economic results, quality of the commercial offer, internal reputation, ethics and corporate responsibility, in addition to their
capacity for internationalization and innovation. Merco is a benchmark reputation assessment instrument in the world, applied
to eight areas. It is based on a multistakeholder methodology and has a presence in twelve countries: Spain, Colombia,
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, Panama and in process in Portugal.
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Santander (Spain) named Bank of the Year in Western Europe and the Americas
by The Banker magazine
26
Banco Santander has been named Bank of the Year in Western Europe, the Americas, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Chile by
The Banker magazine. The Banker recognized the bank’s “peerless commitment to an enhanced customer experience”, its
pursuit of operational efficiency and its development of new digital, global trade and global merchant services. In addition, it
commended Santander on its ability to deliver strong financial results “despite often challenging macroeconomic conditions”
and on the successful integration of Banco Popular. Banco Santander (SAN SM, STD US, BNC LN) is a leading retail and
commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain. It has a meaningful presence in 10 core markets in Europe and
the Americas, and is the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization. Its purpose is to help people and businesses
prosper in a simple, personal and fair way. Santander is building a more responsible bank and has made a number of
commitments to support this objective, including raising over €120 billion in green financing between 2019 and 2025, as well
as financially empowering more than 10 million people over the same period. At the end of September 2019, Banco Santander
had EUR 1.04 trillion in customer funds, 144 million customers, of which 21 million are loyal and 36.2 million are digital (51%
of active customers), 12,700 branches and 200,000 employees. Banco Santander made underlying profit of EUR 6,180 million
in the first nine months of 2019, an increase of 2% compared to the same period the previous year.
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Bank of Ireland Recertified with Business Working Responsibly Mark
27
Bank of Ireland has been recertified with the Business Working Responsibly Mark, an independently audited standard for CSR
and Sustainability. First awarded with the mark in 2016, Bank of Ireland received its 2019 accreditation at an event held in
Dublin hosted by Business in the Community Ireland. Bank of Ireland’s achievement in getting recertified with the Business
Working Responsibly Mark highlights the achievements made by the bank in the sustainability area, including becoming a
signatory to the UN principles for Responsible Banking, the launch of the Sustainable Finance Fund and the commitment to
reduce carbon emissions intensity by 50% by 2030. Recertification required Bank of Ireland employees to contribute to a
detailed questionnaire covering 22 areas across Community, Workplace, Marketplace, Environment and Government, and the
Bank also undertook a four day audit across its sites in Dublin, Belfast and Bristol. Gavin Kelly, CEO Retail Ireland, accepted
the certification on behalf of the Group, joining CEO’s from Dawn Meats and EIR on a panel to discuss the responsible and
sustainable business agenda. Bank of Ireland was praised as part of the audit for the progress made in reducing staff travel
times and adapting to a more agile working approach, as well as its employees engagement with the community. The Bank’s
recent commitment to the UN Principles for Responsible Banking will help further improve responsible and sustainable
behaviour within the group and to meet growing expectations in this area.
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Jinzhou Bank won the Best Mobile Banking Innovation Award of the Year
28
On December 5, the "2019 Bank Digital Transformation Summit Forum" and the 15th Annual China Electronic Banking
Ceremony, organized by the China Financial Certification Center (CFCA) and nearly a hundred member banks, were
successfully held in Beijing. The theme of this year's annual ceremony was "Discovery and Transcendence", and the
winners of the "China Electronic Bank Gold List Award" for 2019 were announced at the meeting. Jinzhou Bank won the
"Best Mobile Banking Innovation Award 2019" for its new upgrade of mobile banking app and innovation in mobile
finance. This year, Jinzhou Bank successfully released a new version of the mobile banking app under the digital
competition pattern of "mobile is king, experience first" in the banking industry, which realized the original design from the
four aspects of page design, interactive experience, product system, and technological intelligence. There are
comprehensive upgrades of products and services, which effectively meet the "more convenient, smarter and more
optimized" service needs of mobile finance customers. Based on this, it has further expanded Jinzhou Bank's mobile finance
by rapidly iterating product systems and service scenarios. The service boundary of the business has played a positive role
in establishing the brand image of Jinzhou Bank's electronic banking.
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BMO Financial Group Recognized with 2019 True North Social Impact Award
29
BMO Financial Group announced it has received the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Canada's True North Social Impact award. The award
recognizes the bank's meaningful social contributions across North America over the past year. By honouring the award recipient's positive contribution to
society, AmCham Canada is encouraging the cross-border community to extend its focus beyond trade and the economy to further build on the affirmative and
constructive collaboration between the U.S. and Canada. Companies are awarded for social impact initiatives including continuous training and skills
development, education and apprenticeships, charitable initiatives, environmental efforts, or mental health and wellness programs. Over the past year, BMO has
made a number of significant contributions across communities in both Canada and the U.S. including:
• Earlier this year, BMO announced commitments to support a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society, as part of the bank's purpose to
Boldly Grow the Good in Business and Life.
• In October 2019, BMO announced the closing of its inaugural U.S. $500-million 3-year Sustainability Bond to support the Bank's commitment to sustainable
finance.
• In October 2019, BMO Harris Bank announced a $10 million commitment to United Way of Metro Chicago supporting the United Way's Neighbourhood
Network, an initiative designed to reduce economic disparity and create sustainable opportunities across neighbourhoods. Last year, BMO also announced a $10
million commitment to United Way Greater Toronto to encourage economic growth and launched an initiative to bring together business leaders to work with
community on reducing economic disparity.
• In 2018, BMO participated in over $10 billion in financing for renewable energy projects and has jointly led sustainable bond issuances for Ontario, Quebec
and the World Bank. This commitment represents the next step in BMO's strategic vision to help clients achieve their sustainability objectives.
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Scotiabank Named Bank of the Year in Canada
30
Scotiabank has been named the Canadian Bank of the Year for 2019 by The Banker magazine, a Financial Times publication. The award highlights those banks
that have achieved industry-wide excellence within the banking community. Over the past several years, Scotiabank has successfully repositioned itself through
a series of strategic acquisitions and divestitures, both in Canada and in core international markets, to focus the Bank's footprint and strengthen its business mix.
This work has allowed Scotiabank to add new customers, grow earnings, achieve greater scale across its key markets and reduce operational risk. This year's
award acknowledges the Bank's investments in digital and technology to deliver innovative solutions that elevate the customer experience. Earlier this year,
Scotiabank launched a new mobile banking app for Canadian customers, leveraging actual user feedback to deliver an improved overall experience. The Scotia
mobile banking app is now the top-rated financial app in Canada on both the Apple Store and on Google Play. The Bank's investments are also making a
difference in key customer touchpoints like onboarding in our Canadian retail and commercial businesses. The award also recognizes Scotiabank's leadership in
executing an ambitious digital strategy enabled by PLATO, an innovative cloud development platform that is accelerating the Bank's technology transformation.
PLATO is an integrated set of technical products that enable Scotiabank to develop cloud-based applications faster, accelerating the time-to-market for
personalized digital innovations that are transforming the customer experience. Scotiabank's commitment to environmental, social, and governance topics
through its Sustainable Business Strategy is also reflected. The Bank believes that its long-term success is interwoven with the world around it. Just this month,
Scotiabank announced that it will mobilize $100 billion by 2025 to reduce the impacts of climate change. Scotiabank received the award at a ceremony held last
night in London, United Kingdom. The Bank also took home wins for its businesses in The Bahamas and in Trinidad & Tobago.
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Garanti BBVA, Turkey's best entity in Investor Relations in 2019
31
The Extel Survey, recognized as the best independent evaluation of the European investment sector, has just
published its results for 2019. Garanti BBVA has been named the best entity in Turkey in the area of Investor
Relations. The opinions of more than 14,000 professionals of about 3,500 asset management and brokerage firms are
sought in the preparation of the survey. The Investor Relations Unit of Garanti BBVA has received four awards,
ranking among the 10 best banks in Europe. The financial director of Garanti BBVA, Aydın Güler, has been
distinguished as the third best CFO in Turkey, while Handan Saygin, head of Investor Relations, has been named
Best Professional in this area in Turkey. After the announcement of the results, CEO of Garanti BBVA, has indicated
that, for the entity, “this recognition as 'Best Turkish entity' in relation to Investors in a survey as prestigious as Excel
Survey is a source of pride ”, And stressed that“ it implies a validation of the effort and commitment of our team ”.
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BDO (Philippines) is the PH’s Strongest Bank for 2nd straight year
32
BDO Unibank, Inc. keeps its #1 position in the local banking industry after The Asian Banker named it 2019’s
Strongest Bank by Balance Sheet in the Philippines for the second straight year. The Asian Banker Strongest Banks
by Balance Sheet is “the most comprehensive annual evaluation that captures the quality and sustainability of the
balance sheets of the banks in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa regions.” Banks are rated on a scale of 0-5
and ranked based on the following performance indicators: scale, balance sheet growth, risk profile, profitability,
asset quality, and liquidity. The Asian Banker underscored BDO’s healthy balance sheet and profit as well as its low
non-performing loan (NPL) ratio and high loan loss reserves to gross NPLs ratio. The country’s largest bank*
recently reported growth in third quarter earnings at P32.1 billion from the previous level of P21.5 billion in the same
period last year. The bank attributes its net income to the expansion of its recurring core revenues, complemented by
the sustained increase in fee incomes and life insurance premiums. It translates to a Return on Common Equity
(ROCE) of 12.5%, compared to 9.5% in 9M18. While its nine-month net income brings it closer to its full-year
earnings guidance of P38.5 billion, the bank remains steadfast in capitalizing on the country’s solid economic pace
and growth opportunities in underserved and emerging markets, leveraging its focused growth strategy, strong
business franchise, solid balance sheet, and extensive geographic reach.
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Comerica Bank (USA) Named in the Inaugural Texan by Nature 20
33
Texan by Nature (TxN), a Texas-led conservation nonprofit founded by former First Lady Laura Bush, announced that Comerica Bank has been
named as an honoree of the first-ever Texan by Nature 20 (TxN20) – an official ranking of 20 companies with Texas operations that have made a
demonstrative commitment to conservation. With the launch of the TxN 20, Texan by Nature aims to recognize the best and most innovative
work in conservation coming from Texas-based business and operations. As part of the TxN 20, Texan by Nature will honor 20 companies
across 10 industries in the Lone Star State whose ingenuity are forging new, beneficial paths in conservation. The largest bank headquartered in
Texas and one of the largest in the country, Comerica has racked up awards in sustainability – The Climate Registry recognized the company for
excellence in greenhouse gas management, and its paper shredding days are signature community events in Dallas and Houston, where the
company partners with Iron Mountain shredding to collect, shred and recycle paper documents for free. Bolstered by an internal environmental
policy statement that looks to every employee and applies to the entire company, Comerica Bank is committed to reducing climate change
business risks while identifying opportunities to mitigate the impact of rising global temperatures. Each year, the firm tracks its progress in
environmental sustainability areas most relevant to its business, including greenhouse gas emissions, water, waste and paper use,
environmentally-beneficial (green) lending, environmentally responsible procurement, and sustainability engagement and communication. As
beautiful as it is big, Texas is home to some of the largest cities in the United States and the world's 10th largest economy. A leader in multiple
industries with 11 ecoregions, eight mountain ranges, and over 150 conservation organizations, Texas is a diverse state with the opportunity to
model the importance of bringing conservation and business together for the benefit of our people, prosperity, and natural resources.
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Comerica (USA) Earns High Mark in Newsweek’s Inaugural America’s Most
Responsible Companies Ranking
34
Comerica Incorporated received national recognition for its commitment to corporate responsibility, placing ninth in Newsweek’s
first ranking of America’s Most Responsible Companies. The rankings included evaluations of more than 2,000 companies across
the country with only 300 making the list. The inaugural ranking was based on a balanced approach to environment, social and
corporate governance (ESG) performance and completed in partnership with global data research firm Statista Inc. The recognition
by Newsweek is one of several corporate responsibility honors for Comerica’s sustainability initiatives in 2019. Earlier this year,
Comerica was named to the 2019 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations by Corporate Knights and received a Climate
Leadership Award from the Center for climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry (TCR) for the second
consecutive year. Comerica’s work in the communities earned the organization recognition on The Civic 50 by Points of Light. The
Civic 50 evaluates companies according to investment, integration, institutionalization and impact. Comerica Incorporated (NYSE:
CMA) is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The
Business Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses
be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select
businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico.
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BIDV (Vietnam) receives two outstanding banking awards
35
The award ceremony took place on 27 November 2019 in Ho Chi Minh city within the framework of Vietnam Retail Banking Forum 2019
co-organized by Vietnam Banks Association (VNBA) and International Data Group (IDG). BIDV is the only bank to receive the “Outstanding
Retail Bank” award for the fourth consecutive year. The bank was also awarded the “Outstanding E-Banking" for the third time. The two awards
were among important categories of the Vietnam Outstanding Banking Awards (VOBA). The VOBA awards were evaluated objectively on strict
criteria by experts from governmental agencies, ministries and associations in the finance and banking sector. The prestigious awards are
recognition of BIDV's efforts over the past 10 years in improving retail banking size, efficiency and quality. In the retail banking business, BIDV
has determined improving efficiency and applying modern technology as breakthroughs, customers and human resources as the core, and have
achieved impressive business results. Accordingly, retail deposits reached over VND600 trillion, retail credit is over VND360 trillion; net
income from retail banking reached more than VND17 trillion; and growth in the period 2016-2019 averages over 30 percent p.a. Individual
customer base grows more than 10 percent per year, reaching over 12 million customers. BIDV's outstanding products and services have brought
positive experiences to customers such as: personal loans (home loans, business loans, car loans, etc.), savings, card products, money transfer,
insurance, securities, and packages dedicated to the segment such as BIDV Premier service. Regarding to e-banking, 7 million customers of
BIDV have banked online, with an average of 5 million active users monthly. In addition, more than 100 million transactions have been
conducted via BIDV Interner Banking and Mobile Banking this year, an increase of 50 percent year-on-year.
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LUKB (Switzerland): Scope Award 2020 for asset management
36
LUKB has won the Scope Award 2020 in the “Special Provider” category for its range of stocks from equity, bond and strategy funds. The rating agency
Scope evaluates fund companies in the “Special Provider” category that manage at least 8 to a maximum of 24 funds. LUKB prevailed against 49
competitors in this category. In the past nine years, LUKB has been regularly awarded awards from Scope (formerly FERI Eurorating Award) for the
LUKB investment fund “Expert growth” in the “Global flexible strategy strategy” category: twice as a winner and six times with an award for one of the
top five top funds. This year, the LUKB won the Scope Award 2020 in the category “special providers”. Not only the quality of a single investment fund
was decisive for the award, but the quality of the entire product range over several years. The rating agency Scope's analysis includes more than 4,500
funds and 280 asset managers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Scope assesses the overall performance in 24 fund and asset management
categories. In this year's analysis, the “Special Provider” category, which also includes LUKB's asset management, consisted of a total of 50 asset
managers, who were measured according to the following evaluation criteria:
• Fund management
• Organization of the investment process
• Implementation of the investment process
• management environment
• Scope fund rating
• Relative and absolute performance over different time periods
• as well as corresponding risk indicators
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NBK awarded ‘Best Foreign Exchange Provider’ in Kuwait and the Middle
East for 2020
37
National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) was recognized as the Best Foreign Exchange Provider in Kuwait and the Middle East for 2020 in an exclusive
survey compiled by the world-renowned financial magazine Global Finance. Global Finance, headquartered in New York, was founded in 1987 and is
one of the leading publications specialized in economic research and analysis. The magazine has a circulation of over 50,000 and a diverse reader
base ranging from corporate and financial institution executives to investment and strategic decision-makers in 188 countries. The publication
conducts several annual surveys to gage financial services providers’ innovation and profitability around the world. The rankings, compiled by
international finance magazine, Global Finance, are based on input from industry analysts, corporate executives and technology experts. NBK is
enlisted among the World's Best Foreign Exchange Providers along with major international financial institutions such as Citibank, BBVA, Societe
Generale, Nomura, Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse. The award is a recognition of NBK’s leadership in providing the best banking solutions that
meet the needs of its clientele. Global Finance magazine has named its 20th World’s Best Foreign Exchange Providers in 113 countries, and 7 global
regions, as well as the best banks for FX research and analysis and for FX trading technology. Global Finance also named its Corporate FX Awards
honorees, covering FX management and innovation. Global Finance used a series of criteria—including market share, number and size of deals,
service and advice, structuring capabilities, distribution network, efforts to address market conditions, innovation, pricing and market reputation—to
score and select winners, based on a proprietary algorithm. NBK continues to collectively enjoy the highest credit ratings from the top three
international rating agencies; Moody’s, Fitch Ratings and Standard and Poor’s. The Bank’s ratings are supported by its high capitalization, prudent
lending policies, and its disciplined approach to risk management, in addition to its highly recognized and very stable management team.
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Nordea (Sweden) ranked best corporate bank in the Nordics
38
Nordea was again chosen as the best corporate bank among large Nordic corporates with an all-time high customer
satisfaction score in the 2019 Prospera survey. This marks the third consecutive year that Nordea is voted the best
corporate bank in the Nordics and the fourth consecutive year with improved satisfaction scores for Nordea. In Norway
and Denmark, Nordea C&IB was ranked as the best corporate bank, with the highest customer satisfaction scores ever to
be recorded in Prospera’s survey history. Also in Finland, Nordea C&IB gained a clear number one spot in the Prospera
annual large corporate customer survey for the second year. Nordea C&IB in Sweden came second in the 2019 rankings.
– “I am very proud of what the team has accomplished and the recognition that our corporate customers appreciate the
full-service offering of Corporate & Investment Banking across the Nordics. We are also very grateful for the trust our
customers show us which is a testament to the strength of our long-term partnership. We will continue to do our utmost
to be a value-added long-term partner, and this recognition motivates us to continue to improve and be a strong personal
and financial partner for our customers”, says Global Co-Head of Nordea Corporate & Investment Banking (C&IB).
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Global Finance names QIB as the safest Islamic Bank in Qatar for the third
consecutive year
39
Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) has been named the safest Islamic Bank in Qatar for the third consecutive year by Global
Finance, a New-York based magazine. Adding to its list of awards and achievements, QIB was also recognized as the 4th
safest Islamic Bank in the GCC, and the 36th safest Bank in emerging markets. Global Finance evaluates the ratings and
total assets of the key players in each region, providing an overview of which financial institutions offer the greatest safety
for customers and stakeholders. The rankings are recognized as a trusted standard of financial safety for over 25 years. The
Banks were selected through an evaluation of long-term foreign currency ratings from Moody’s, Fitch, as well as the
company reports. The rankings are a reflection of QIB’s success over the past few years and a testament to the Bank’s
growth strategy that has been focused on prudent financing policies and disciplined approach to risk management. The
Bank’s strategy is closely tied with Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and the government’s commitment to investments in the
country’s infrastructure, the diversification of the economy and the development of a strong private sector. In recent years,
QIB has been working on building a sustainable business strategy and establishing competitive advantage by introducing
innovative products and services, improving service performance, upgrading the Bank’s risk management framework, and
migrating to new technology platforms that allow QIB to improve efficiency and better serve its customers. The successful
implementation of this strategy has contributed to the Bank’s leading position in Qatar and the region.
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QIB (Qatar) Awarded best straight-through-processing (STP) in payments by
Citibank
40
Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) has been conferred the prestigious annual straight-through-processing (STP) Excellence Award presented by
Citi Qatar for outstanding performance in Straight Through Processing (STP) and delivery of commercial and financial payments in
USD. The Award was handed over at a meeting held at QIB Head Office, attended by senior officials from QIB and Citibank. The
award recognizes QIB’s state-of-the-art in-house funds transfer architecture and reflects the Bank’s consistent high SWIFT payment
standards which facilitate automated processing resulting in beneficiary account credits in the fastest time. The STP award recognizes
quality in the field of payment transactions, reflecting the degree of full automation. STP is set up in a way that ensures that payments
are done automatically without human involvement as a result of which less processing time and resources are used and proves
effective for both QIB, Citi and the end customers. The award was given to QIB for conducting international settlement services with
an STP rate above 97 per cent. Citibank’s STP Award is presented annually to banks that have efficiently processed foreign currency
payments. In recognition of its accomplishments in the past year, QIB received several prestigious awards for its digital innovation:
"Best Digital Bank in Qatar" by the Asian Banker, “Best Consumer Digital Award 2018” and “Islamic Finance Innovator Award 2019”
from the esteemed Global Finance Magazine, and the “Excellence in Mobile Banking 2018” award at the New Age Banking Summit in
Doha. These awards reflect QIB’s continuous efforts to develop its existing product suite and create innovative digital solutions to meet
the fast-changing financial needs and preferences of its customers in Qatar.
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Sberbank (Russia) gets TAdviser award for Fintech API integrative solution
41
Sberbank’s integration techniques have been recognized as the best in the Digital Ecosystem category and won the TAdviser IT Prize.
They all are collectively known as Fintech API and provide a seamless integration of fintech companies’ services and host-2-host
integration with ERP systems. Sberbank’s Fintech API is a technology which brings together banking and non-banking products and
services in one online platform, lets users seamlessly log on to the partners’ services with a universal login, instantly exchanges
payment details, and integrates business accounting systems into the internet banking. One solution includes SberBusiness ID seamless
login experience, conclusion of client’s consent to data transfer, invoicing and payment methods, methods of processing invoices and
transactions, methods of managing payroll projects, debt and payment registers, methods of working with international payments, and
corporate service subscriptions. It enables Sberbank clients to use traditional banking services and new non-financial services with
Sberbank Business Online work with data, pay for services, log on to B2B services, and automate routine operations in a way that is
secure, fast and convenient. For example, once logging in to the bank and setting the synchronization with all accounting systems,
Sberbank corporate clients can send payroll registers to the bank without exporting or importing documents via the internet banking.
Previously, large companies could spend a whole working day to export registers from the accounting system and upload them to the
internet banking solution manually.
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Sberbank (Russia) wins seven European Contact Center and Customer Service Awards
42
Sberbank’s integration techniques have been recognized as the best in the Digital Ecosystem category and won the TAdviser IT Prize.
They all are collectively known as Fintech API and provide a seamless integration of fintech companies’ services and host-2-host
integration with ERP systems. Sberbank’s Fintech API is a technology which brings together banking and non-banking products and
services in one online platform, lets users seamlessly log on to the partners’ services with a universal login, instantly exchanges
payment details, and integrates business accounting systems into the internet banking. One solution includes SberBusiness ID seamless
login experience, conclusion of client’s consent to data transfer, invoicing and payment methods, methods of processing invoices and
transactions, methods of managing payroll projects, debt and payment registers, methods of working with international payments, and
corporate service subscriptions. It enables Sberbank clients to use traditional banking services and new non-financial services with
Sberbank Business Online work with data, pay for services, log on to B2B services, and automate routine operations in a way that is
secure, fast and convenient. For example, once logging in to the bank and setting the synchronization with all accounting systems,
Sberbank corporate clients can send payroll registers to the bank without exporting or importing documents via the internet banking.
Previously, large companies could spend a whole working day to export registers from the accounting system and upload them to the
internet banking solution manually.
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Sberbank (Russia) and Aviasales name Top 10 tourist destinations most popular among
Russians for New Year holidays
43
Sberbank Insurance, a Sberbank subsidiary, and Aviasales flight search site have ranked the most popular tourist
destinations Russians go to for New Year holidays. Moscow ranked first on the Top 10 list with 12% of early
bookings. Ranking second is St. Petersburg (7%), ranking third is Bangkok (4.5%), followed by Sochi (4.1%), Bali
(3.6%), Istanbul (3.2%), Prague (3%), Simferopol (2.7%), Krasnodar (2.6%), and Phuket (2.2%). During the last
New Year holidays – between December 27, 2018 and January 13, 2019 – some 800 Sberbank Insurance customers
sought medical assistance using their insurance policies when travelling. As much as 62% of these accounted for
Thailand. The Top 5 countries where travelers sought medical help using their insurance policies also included
Russia (5%), India (4%), Indonesia (3.5%), and Vietnam (3%). Acute respiratory infections, digestive disorders, and
traumas were the most popular reasons to visit a doctor. Some 35% of the insured events accounted for respiratory
diseases, like viral infections, bronchitis, running nose, and otitis. Digestive disorders accounted for 20% of cases,
and traumas accounted for 5%. Bites from insects, primates, and a venomous snake were the unconventional reasons
why policyholders sought medical assistance in Thailand.
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Sberbank (Russia)gets three awards at Tagline Awards 2019
44
Sberbank has won the prestigious Tagline Awards. Sberbank Online app won two gold medals, one for “Best mobile / AR /
VR / IoT project”, which is a general category, and another one in the “Best financial / insurance company app” category. In
July 2019 a huge update was released for Sberbank Online, making the app adjust to each customer individually. AI
algorithms choose individual cards with the most relevant actions. For even better customer experience, the app also
features a new login screen that morphs depending on the time of the day and location. Sberbank’s Chat Bot for Corporate
Clients was also recognized in the Chat Bots and AI Technology category. The service first appeared on Sberbank’s website
nearly a year ago, on December 25, 2018. It helps customers get quick counsel on transaction products and services.
Recently, the chat bot functionality also welcomed an account reservation option. Tagline Awards is a Russian award for
interactive projects and digital achievements. It is awarded annually for the most innovative, interesting and high-quality
projects demonstrating the extensive expertise of Russian agencies and in-house teams. The Tagline Awards jury team
includes renowned creative and art directors, marketing and communications directors from the biggest companies,
software development and customer experience professionals. The judges consider the concepts, their quality and efficiency
with which commercial tasks get tackled.
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Sberbank (Russia) Online makes to Top 3 list of most popular apps in Russia
45
Sberbank Online has made it to Top 3 most-downloaded free iPhone apps of the year for the first time, with
only WhatsApp messaging app and Instagram social networking service ahead of it. Apple has compiled its
annual ranking of the App Store applications Russians download the most. Before that Sberbank Online had
been ranking fourth for three years running, and ranked sixth even before that. The app’s active users added
30% y-o-y to reach 53 mln people. Most of them are Android users, however iPhone owners open Sberbank
Online 20% more often. Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank, “Traditionally it’s
communications apps that lead the App Store ranking. This year Sberbank Online ranked third, which
proves that digital banking is becoming indispensable to Russians. We’re happy to be part of this change.”
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Sberbank (Russia) wins three Time for Innovations Awards
46
Sberbank has won three Time for Innovations 2019 awards for Best Project on Innovation Introduction, Innovation of the Year, and Project
of the Year, all in the Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Digital Economy category. Sberbank’s Robotic Cash Recalculation Unit was
recognized as the Best Project on Innovation Introduction. Developed by Sberbank Robotics Laboratory, the unit recalculates, sorts, and
packs cash automatically, thus tripling productivity. Each unit can recalculate up to 600 kg of cash a day. The solution has already been
introduced and is being scaled at the bank. Digital twin Elena was recognized as the Innovation of the Year. The digital twin of a TV host
was created in Robotics Laboratory using deep learning artificial neural networks; it cuts time and cost to produce video content while
maintaining the needed and sufficient quality of materials. The voice and image are fully digital and were created with the help of AI using
uploaded text. With the new technology, an all-new TV news format for Sberbank Group was launched in April. It’s called SberNews and
it’s hosted by Elena. The news blocks are broadcast on the intranet and the bank’s website. The kNOwTEACHER project won an award as
the Project of the Year. This is an advanced R&D project by Sberbank Robotics Laboratory that can flexibly pick up an object using a
robot-equipped manipulator with the computer vision and AI-based robotic control technologies at the core. The robot independently learns
about an object without a teacher and picks the object up no matter what its placement is. The project automates processes on manipulating
an object of an unknown shape and in an unknown place. After the short-term machine learning on a certain type of objects, the technology
allows for such objects to be picked up when they are placed randomly and lets the manipulator do things that require knowing the current
location of the object. The bank obtained a patent for this invention.
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Sberbank (Russia)wins five awards at RETAIL FINANCE AWARDS — 2019
47
Sberbank has won five awards in four categories at the annual RETAIL FINANCE AWARDS — 2019. The “All about Your Money. Financial
Literacy in Plain Language” project won two awards as “Best Social Project” and “Best Social Project According to Retail Finance Magazine
Readers”. The project implies large-scale personalized communications covering the following themes: Savings, Investing, Having Loans,
Making Economies, Increasing Earnings. Customers received introductory questionnaires, experienced six communication rounds, and passed a
final test. For the time being, this is the bank’s biggest financial literacy initiative in terms of engagement. The project audience topped 30 mln,
of which 5 mln read one e-mail or history via Sberbank Online mobile app and over 500,000 people read all six of them. The key difference that
makes Sberbank, the Finance Ministry and the CBR stand out is the wide use of personalized approach through neural networks model that had
picked relevant information for clients. The final testing proved a dramatic raise in awareness of the issues among clients. The “DomClick by
Sberbank: Mortgaged Apartment in One Day, Myth or Reality” project won the prize in the Marketplace special category. DomClick is a real
estate marketplace that can help you answer practically any housing-related question online, from applying for a mortgage to registering your
title. You can apply for a mortgage online in five minutes and take out a mortgage without presenting your documents. In Moscow every second
mortgage is taken out via DomClick, while in Russia every fourth one. As much as 45% of Sberbank clients learn about the lending decision
within 30 minutes; 95% of clients learn about it within 24 hours. On DomClick you can choose from over 2 mln ads placed by the bank’s trusted
partners or home owners. While your mortgage loan is being issued you can enjoy the assistance of professional consultants, who can answer
any question via the chat 24/7.
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Sberbank (Russia) Online mobile app wins Runet Prize 2019
48
The major Sberbank Online update has won the Mobile Application award at Runet Prize 2019, which was organized by the
Russian Association for Electronic Communications with financial support from the Federal Agency on Press and Mass
Communications of the Russian Federation. Released in July 2019, the massive Sberbank Online update features artificial
intelligence algorithms that analyze the profile of users and what they do to customize the app and suggest the most relevant
actions and products on the main screen. The app design also changes depending on the time of the day and user location. The
Sberbank Online update had earlier received awards at Tagline 2019, Retail Finance Awards 2019, and Time of Innovations
2019. On top of that, the Sberbank Online mobile app made it to the Top 3 apps on App Store annual ranking list, following
WhatsApp and Instagram, for the first time. For the third consecutive year Spasibomania 3.0 Hyperthrow, which is part of the
Spasibo by Sberbank loyalty program, won a Runet Prize in a popular vote category. Project participants receive prizes and
offers from program partners by opening cells on a virtual map through gamification mechanics. Any member of the loyalty
program can receive one million rewards points with Spasibomania. Three people have already won this grand prize.
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Signature Bank Recipient of Cigna’s 2019 Well-Being Award for Fifth Consecutive Year
49
Signature Bank, a New York-based full-service commercial bank, announced it has been named the winner of the annual Cigna
Well-Being Award in 2019 for demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the health and well-being of its employees
through its expansive workplace wellness program. 2019 marks the fifth consecutive year Signature Bank was named winner of
the Well-Being Award by Cigna. Signature Bank was selected based on its robust wellness program, which was put in place in
2007. The program, with strong support from the Bank’s leadership, has continually grown and expanded to feature many
incentives encouraging healthy behaviors in and outside the workplace. These include, among others, seminars and webinars
relating to topics such as diet and stress management as well as in-house bio-metrics and cancer awareness programs. The
Bank’s work environment and policies support a culture of health and well-being. Cigna Well-Being Award applicants are
evaluated based on the core components of their wellness program, including goals, implementation, incentives, leadership
engagement and employee participation. All applications are reviewed and judged by a multi-departmental Cigna selection
committee. While poor health takes a physical toll on workers, it also poses a burden to employers. According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. employers lose more than $225 billion each year in productivity due to
employee health problems.
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Standard Bank wins The Banker Bank of the Year South Africa award for 2019
50
Standard Bank Group has been recognised once again for its accomplishments over the past year. This time round, the bank has secured
prestigious country awards in South Africa, Lesotho, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Angola in the Bank of the Year awards for 2019.
Regarded as the industry standard for banking excellence, The Banker’s (part of the Financial Times Group) Bank of the Year awards –
now in their nineteenth year – was presented at a gala dinner held last night in London. The awards programme attracts the world’s
leading financial institutions, which are judged on their ability to deliver returns, gain strategic advantage and serve their markets –
through setting new standards for their local industries, facilitated by technology or other innovative ways of expanding their business.
Applicants are required to submit comprehensive data on their earnings, asset growth, return on equity as well as information on their
ability to serve the markets in which they operate. In addition to data on growth in its assets and capital, Standard Bank in its
application highlighted increasing its shareholdings in the group’s Nigerian and Kenyan subsidiaries. These investments were made in
support of Standard Bank’s Africa strategy and will contribute to Standard Bank’s plans to drive growth across the African continent.
With regards to tech upgrades, Standard Bank noted its selection of Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud provider to
migrate its production workloads, including its customer facing platforms and strategic core banking applications, to the cloud.
Standard Bank will leverage AWS services, including data analytics and machine learning, to automate financial operations and
enhance customer facing web and mobile applications.
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UniCredit (Italy) awarded as the World's Best Private Bank 2020 in Central & Eastern
Europe as well as Best Private Bank for Entrepreneurs in CEE
51
UniCredit has been recognised by Global Finance magazine in its fifth annual World's Best Private Banks Awards 2020
as the Best Private Bank in Central & Eastern Europe. Additionally, UniCredit has also been selected for another
regional award - Best Private Bank for Entrepreneurs in CEE - and country awards for Best Private Bank in Austria
(Schoellerbank), Czech Republic and Romania. The winners, as described by Global Finance, are the banks that best
serve the specific needs of high-net-worth individuals as they seek to enhance, preserve and pass on their wealth. The
winners are not always the biggest institutions, but rather the best—those with qualities that individuals rate highly
when choosing a provider. "It's a great honour for us to be recognised as the world's Best Private Bank in CEE and to
receive further country recognitions in Austria, Czech Republic and Romania" commented CoCEOs Commercial
Banking, CEE. "We are proud of our ability to build sustainable relationships with our customers, so that they continue
to choose us. These awards prove the value of our continuous efforts to be a leader in the delivery of innovative and
relevant investment solutions to our wealth management clients in our all our markets."
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BNY Mellon Selected by VFMC to Support Data Transformation
52
BNY Mellon, a global leader in investment management and investment services, is pleased to announce that Victorian Funds
Management Corporation (VFMC) has selected its Eagle Data Management product to underpin its comprehensive data and IT
transformation strategy. The solutions, hosted on Eagle ACCESSSM, a secure private cloud, also include a Managed Services
agreement to integrate, clean, enrich and validate multiple sources of investment data into one centralised location and help manage
the technology environment for VFMC on a going-forward basis. As the investment specialist of the government of Victoria in
Australia, VFMC manages assets of over $65 billion, and delivers investment and funds-management services to 29 Victorian
public authorities and related organisations. In its search for a technology partner to support its IT transformation strategy, VFMC
prioritised solutions that could improve data quality while offering a flexible and open platform able to scale as assets under
management also grow. BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their
financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or
individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment management and investment services in 35 countries. As of Sept.
30, 2019, BNY Mellon had $35.8 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $1.9 trillion in assets under
management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute
or restructure investments.
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Northern Trust (USA) Selected by Storebrand as Asset Servicing Provider for
Cross-Border Distribution Through New Luxembourg Fund Range
53
Northern Trust announced it has been selected by Nordic investment manager Storebrand Asset Management AS (Storebrand) as
asset servicing provider to its AIF and UCITS funds domiciled in Luxembourg. Northern Trust will provide global custody, fund
administration, transfer agency, depositary, and company secretarial services for the Storebrand funds in Luxembourg. The UCITS
umbrella fund will operate a number of sub-funds, which amongst other things will focus on Storebrand’s ESG and selected
SKAGEN value-based investment strategies. Northern Trust will also service a range of alternative asset classes, including private
equity and infrastructure assets, by supporting the launch of a Luxembourg reserved alternative investment fund. Storebrand is
Norway’s largest independent asset manager with over NOK786 billion (c. USD$86 billion) of assets under management (as of Q3
2019) all managed according to strict sustainability criteria. It provides long-term savings and insurance solutions to private and
corporate clients, with particular focus on sustainable investments. Northern Trust has worked in the Nordic region since 1991 and
first opened its Stockholm office in 2009. Today, it provides a broad range of services from global custody to securities lending,
and institutional outsourced trade execution for some of the Nordic region’s most sophisticated investors, across sectors such as
asset management, pension insurance and banking. Northern Trust’s Global Fund Services business provides services including
fund administration, global custody, investment operations outsourcing and revenue enhancement solutions to global investment
managers – supporting a range of complex investment strategies across the full spectrum of asset classes.
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First Uzbek bank joins Sberbank’s (Russia) money transfer ecosystem
54
Now transfers using a phone number from Sberbank are available to Uzbekistan; users of Sberbank Online
app can transfer money to cards and accounts of Commercial Bank Agrobank. The service is available in the
International Transfers section’s ‘To Cards/Accounts Using Phone Number.’You input a recipient’s phone
number that is associated with the card to make a transfer. With a per-transaction limit of RUB 50,000, wire
transfer fees are set at 1%. Money can be sent in rubles and will be converted to the currency of the card as
Agrobank receives it. Commercial Bank Agrobank is the first Uzbek bank to have joined Sberbank’s money
transfer ecosystem. Uzbekistan is the largest market of transfers from Russia and CIS countries; the transfer
volume was USD 4 bln in 2018. Sberbank Online also enables clients to send money to such financial
institutions as Dushanbe City MDO, Commerce Bank of Tajikistan, Bank Eskhata and Spitamen Bank in
Tajikistan, Commercial bank KYRGYZSTAN and Kompanion Bank in Kyrgyzstan.
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Societe Generale (France) and EDF sign the first contract for the supply of wind
energy in the French banking sector
55
In signing a contract with EDF for the supply of wind energy, Societe Generale Group has become the first bank in
France to sign a Power Purchase Agreement, and one of the first companies in France across all sectors. Societe
Generale Group signed its first Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with EDF on 20 November. A PPA is a contract under
which consumers can source some of its energy needs by purchasing green electricity from a renewable electricity
(wind, solar, hydraulic) producer and which offers visibility on the price throughout the term of the contract. This
innovative approach helps to promote the development of renewable energies by guaranteeing revenue for producers
over several years and offers traceability for the customers of the origin of a proportion of their electricity supply. Under
this power supply contract, Societe Generale Group undertakes to purchase electricity through EDF Group’s aggregator,
Agregio, from the Eurowatt wind energy farm located in Santilly in the Centre region of France. This corresponds to 27
Gwh of energy per year over three years, from 2021 to 2023.
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Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Emirates Skywards partner to launch the ADIB
Emirates Skywards Cards
56
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), a leading financial institution in the UAE, has partnered with Emirates Skywards, the
award winning loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai to launch two new covered cards in association with
Mastercard. The ADIB Emirates Skywards Cards, available in both World Elite and World options, offers customers the
opportunity to earn Skywards Miles on all spends, with a higher Skywards Miles earning rate on Emirates and flydubai
spends as well as foreign currency transactions. Cardholders will also enjoy a range of benefits including earning up to
120,000 bonus Skywards Miles and Emirates Skywards Silver tier membership with the opportunity to fast-track to
Emirates Skywards Gold tier membership upon meeting qualifying criteria. The cards also provide a variety of travel and
lifestyle benefits including complimentary Emirates Home Check-in service within Dubai, airport transfers in the UAE,
global airport lounge access via LoungeKey, golf benefits and more. With a growing demand for travel in the UAE from
nationals and expatriates alike, ADIB expects this card to add more value to its frequent travelling customers while offering
them many more benefits that complement their lifestyle. ADIB has received numerous awards for its leading retail banking
proposition recently, including 'Global Service Quality Award' by Visa, 'World's Best Islamic Bank' by the FT's The Banker
Magazine, 'Best Premium Banking Service in the UAE' from Banker Middle East, and 'Best Islamic Bank' at the EMEA
Banking Awards.
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Attijariwafa bank (Morocco) signs a Memorandum of Understanding with African
Guarantee Fund in favor of women entrepreneurs
57
On the sidelines of the Global Gender Summit which is taking place this year in Kigali from 25 to 27 November 2019, a
memorandum of understanding was signed between the Attijariwafa bank group and the African Guarantee Fund group,
a major fund in Africa , which main objective is to encourage the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises. This
agreement will allow the Attijariwafa bank group to support women entrepreneurs by benefiting from portfolio
guarantees on the one hand, and to provide technical support, in partnership with the African Guarantee Fund, to SMEs
in all countries where the Group is present. somewhere else. As such, our bank signed, during the last International
Africa Development Forum, with the African Development Bank and four African associations working in favor of
women entrepreneurs, an agreement for the promotion of the SUFAWE initiative (Stand Up For African Women
Entrepreneurs). This Memorandum corresponds perfectly to the spirit of the Global Gender Summit. Indeed,
Attijariwafa bank, as a responsible leader, has launched a large number of initiatives in favor of entrepreneurship,
including Dar Al Moukawil, an exclusive and innovative concept, dedicated to support, advice and training, in favor of
VSE clients and non-clients, through physical centers and a digital platform www.daralmoukawil.com , in particular for
business creation, project development, market access, etc.
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Scotiabank (Canada) enhances Scotiabank eHOME with Digital Pre-Approvals and
teams up with the Canadian Real Estate Association for REALTOR.ca
58
Scotiabank announced key enhancements to its digital mortgage experience, Scotiabank eHOME, as part of its commitment to
deliver leading, innovative digital solutions that elevate the customer experience. Canadians can now get pre-approved for a
mortgage, convert their pre-approval to a mortgage application, and search for their dream home – all in one digital platform.
Through Scotiabank eHOME's digital pre-approval, potential home buyers can secure an exclusive online rate and receive a
decision on how much of a mortgage they can afford in just minutes. Once pre-approved, home buyers can instantly download a
pre-approval letter from any device. Through a collaboration with the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), Canadians can
now also search for properties within their pre-approval budget on REALTOR.ca, Canada's largest real estate website, all from
within Scotiabank eHOME's digital platform. Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in
the Americas. We are dedicated to helping our more than 25 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice,
products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and
investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 100,000 employees and assets of over $1 trillion (as at July 31,
2019), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS).
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Commerzbank (Germany) now with Apple Pay
59
Commerzbank AG now offers its customers Apple Pay. Apple Pay enables easy, secure and private payments with iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and
Mac. Customers can make fast and convenient purchases in stores, in apps and on websites. Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. The
actual card number of credit or debit cards used are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. Apple Pay is easy to set up and users will continue
to receive all the rewards and benefits offered by their Master or Visa credit and debit cards. With iPhone and Apple Watch, customers can pay with
Apple Pay in shops, restaurants, taxis, vending machines and many more places. When shopping on the web in Safari with Apple Pay, there´s no need
to manually fill out lengthy account forms or repeatedly type in shipping and billing information. Every Apple Pay purchase is authenticated with just
a glance or touch with Face ID or Touch ID, or a device´s passcode. Commerzbank is a leading international commercial bank with branches and
offices in nearly 50 countries. The Bank’s two business segments – Private and Small-Business Customers and Corporate Clients – offer a
comprehensive portfolio of financial services precisely tailored to their customers’ needs. Commerzbank transacts approximately 30% of Germany’s
foreign trade and is the market leader in German corporate banking. The Bank offers its sector expertise to its corporate clients in Germany and
abroad and is a leading provider of capital market products. Its subsidiaries, Comdirect in Germany and mBank in Poland, are two of the world’s
most innovative online banks. With approximately 800 branches going forward, Commerzbank has one of the densest branch networks in Germany.
The Bank serves more than 11 million private and small-business customers nationwide and over 70,000 corporate clients, multinationals, financial
service providers, and institutional clients worldwide.
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World Bank and Credit Suisse (Switzerland) partner to focus attention on sustainable
use of oceans and coastal areas – the “Blue Economy”
60
The World Bank issued a USD 28.6 million 5-year Sustainable Development Bond as part of ongoing efforts to raise
awareness for the vital role fresh and saltwater resources play for people, livelihoods, and the planet. Credit Suisse
Securities (Europe) Ltd., through its Impact Advisory and Finance Department, acted as the sole manager of the transaction.
World Bank bonds support the financing of sustainable development projects and programs across a range of critical
development sectors in member countries. This includes projects designed to promote strong governance of marine and
coastal resources to support sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, make coastlines more resilient, establish coastal and
marine protected areas, and those which improve solid waste management to reduce pollution in waterways and oceans.
This “Blue Economy” approach supports economic growth, social inclusion and the preservation or improvement of
livelihoods while at the same time ensuring the environmental sustainability of oceans and coastal areas. The World Bank
bond forms the collateral for Credit Suisse’s Low Carbon Blue Economy Note, which was placed with Credit Suisse’s
private wealth management clients in Northern Europe. The Low Carbon Blue Economy Note as collateralized by the
World Bank bond was well received and illustrates the desire for private investors to use their investment to engage on
critical topics like the Blue Economy.
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Erste Group (Austria) deepens cooperation with Czech start-up Dateio
61
In cooperation with the Prague-based company Dateio, Erste Group plans to integrate a new discount system into its
pan-European banking platform George. The tool developed by Fileio enables discounts in connection with card payments. The
first builds on the particular strength of its George platform, which has more than five million users in four retail markets and
has a digital market share of around 25%. With the investment in a 22% stake in Dateio, Erste Group entered the Czech
company as a minority owner. As an investor, Erste plans to increase the value of the start-up company by spreading the service
through its own banking platform. A version of the solution that is suitable for implementation is currently being developed and
will gradually go into operation in the first markets via George in the first half of 2020. Dateio has previously worked with the
first subsidiaries Česká spořitelna and Banca Comercială Română. Dateio offers an established IT platform and will ensure that
the discount program runs smoothly. File goes through lists of transactions made with payment cards to determine which of
these transactions are eligible for a discount. Only those transactions are considered in which the card was previously registered
for merchant discounts. The Dateio platform is a card-based marketing platform that connects retailers with banks and their
customers. Founded in the Czech Republic in 2013, Dateio currently operates in three countries - the Czech Republic, Slovakia
and Romania - and works with eight banks. Around 300 retailers are already using the platform to contact bank customers with
card-based offers.
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ICICI Bank (India) and TranzLease join hands to launch ‘SMART EMI’ for
car enthusiasts
62
ICICI Bank announced the launch of an innovative equated monthly installment (EMI) facility, in association with TranzLease,
an automobile leasing & mobility solutions company, which enables customers to drive a new car home at lower cost and
higher convenience. Termed as ‘SMART EMI’, this next-gen auto loan takes care of the insurance and maintenance
requirement of the vehicle during the financing period. The amount of ‘SMART EMI’ is much lower than regular car loan EMI
as the estimated resale value of the car is deducted upfront. Above all, this gives the users an option to either own the car at the
end of the tenure by making payment of an agreed resale value or simply return the car to the leasing company. In case of such
return, customers are rewarded with special bonus. This simple yet cost effective offering is developed, keeping in mind the
special need of corporates and individuals who are keen to upgrade their vehicles in a few years. This unique proposition offers
lower EMI in comparison to a regular car loan EMI as well as eliminates the hassle of unbudgeted and unforeseen expenses and
unknown resale value. Currently, this offering is available for both corporates and salaried individuals and will soon be
available for self-employed customers. As a pilot, customers in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR can avail of this facility and take home
cars of almost all leading makers. It will soon be available in Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai.
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NBK to integrate its FX, money and capital markets business with Murex’s
MX.3 platform
63
National Bank of Kuwait's (NBK) has signed a contract with Murex, an industry leader in trading, risk management and processing
solutions for money, FX and capital markets, to implement a full replacement of its legacy IT systems at Group Treasury and
Investments with the MX.3 platform. Founded more than 30 years ago, Paris-based Murex is a global provider of cross-asset
financial technology solutions to players in the money markets, FX markets and capital markets. In addition to having more than
50,000 daily users in 60 countries, Murex has a presence in 17 financial hubs around the world including New York, Singapore,
London and Dubai. MX.3 will become NBK’s fully integrated solution for trading, book keeping, risk management, operations,
collateral management, treasury and investments for the front, middle and back offices across the bank’s operations in Kuwait and
its international branches and subsidiaries, including Paris, London, New York, Singapore, Dubai and Beirut. The replacement
process has already started in NBK's branches in Kuwait and Bahrain; and the first go-live is anticipated in 2020. Global Finance
Magazine awarded National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) three new awards for the year 2019, the first is the “Best Bank for Liquidity
Management Middle East and North Africa”, the second is “Best Treasury and Cash Management in Kuwait” and the third is “Best
Foreign Exchange Provider in the Region”. Global Finance Magazine chooses its best-bank awards based on a variety of criteria
that comprise profitability, market share, customer service, competitive pricing, innovative products and the level to which these
institutions exceed their competitors in terms of providing treasury services.
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Manateq & QIB (Qatar) Financial Initiative for Logistics Parks Investors
64
Manateq, the national initiative working to diversify Qatar’s economy by providing premium infrastructure within strategic
economic zones, has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) to facilitate preferential
financing for its logistics parks investors. Manateq’s logistic parks have been designed to accelerate the economy through enabling
businesses and SMEs by offering around 12 million square meters in diverse range of sectors such as aluminium, steel, automotive,
electronics, construction material, and food and beverage to accelerate economic diversification. Logistics parks offer SMEs with
an integrated solution where investors can use the land for all their business necessities by developing warehouse or workshop for
processing and assembly, commercial showrooms for goods and products, various office options and workers’ accommodations all
at the same plot. Manateq is keen to support SMEs specially with launching the initiative of free ready-to-build designs of
warehouses for the 1000 and 2000 sqm land plots, where investors opting to choose from eight designs which are available on
Manateq’s website are able to get their building permit from the authorized entities within three working days only. QIB’s growth
strategy is built on its position as a leading Islamic Bank covering all segments of the financial markets. It has recently been
awarded the “Best Islamic Project Finance Provider” in the world, from Global Finance Magazine, for its project finance expertise
where the Bank has financed major developmental projects in different fields which include: infrastructure, oil and gas, mega
construction projects, Small & Medium Enterprises and other sectors in alignment with Qatar’s National Vision 2030.
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RBC (Canada) and Western Announce Partnership to Prepare Emerging Leaders
for the Future of Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics
65
Western University and Royal Bank of Canada have partnered to help prepare the next generation of talent in
navigating this era of unprecedented technical transformation by establishing a program focused on the ethical and
social aspects of data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). RBC’s $3-million investment has established The
RBC Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Project at Western, a unique opportunity to expand Western’s ongoing
cross-disciplinary work in the fields of data analytics and AI which focuses on answering big questions for the good
of society. RBC’s support helps take that work to the next level, while training the next generation of experts. The
partnership also builds on RBC’s commitment to invest in Canada’s tech talent ecosystem, creating opportunities for
RBC experts to share cutting edge, real-life cases and help prepare future leaders for the jobs of tomorrow. It brings
together two prominent Canadian institutions that are leading the way in preparing students with the skills needed to
succeed in today’s increasingly complex digital economy. The courses, scholarships and design thinking program
will create meaningful opportunities to help students establish the skills, experience, and networks they need to
successfully start their careers after graduation, including potential work-integrated learning and internships.
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Sberbank (Russia) and Mail.ru Group agree on strategic cooperation
66
Sberbank and Mail.ru Group have agreed on strategic cooperation and signed binding paperwork to partner in
mobility and food-tech. Sberbank has also signed binding documents to acquire a 36% shareholding in MF
Technologies. Sberbank and Mail.ru Group have agreed on strategic cooperation. The parties are set to leverage their
expertise to boost the development of digital economy and AI-powered products in Russia. The companies fully
appreciate the potential synergy of their mutually reinforcing ecosystems, the opportunity to create unique products
together with the aim to expand the range of customer services, provide a seamless customer experience, improve
predictability, and customize client offers. Potential cooperation areas include advertising products for small and
medium-sized enterprises, joint products and services for Mail.ru Group and Sberbank customers, sharing of
expertise in technology and new complex solutions, and joint strategic projects. Sberbank and Mail.ru Group are
already cooperating in some areas. They are running joint initiatives to promote the products and services of their
ecosystems across online and offline channels, integrating Delivery Club and Citymobil with the Spasibo by
Sberbank loyalty program and are set to introduce Sberbank ID to those services shortly.
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Sberbank (Russia) and American Express announce partnership
67
Sberbank announces a new partnership with American Express to expand Amex card acceptance to Sberbank
merchants across the Russian territory. Under the new agreement, Sberbank merchants will be able to accept
American Express cards online and in-store as well as allow American Express Cardmembers to use Sberbank’s
extensive ATM network for cash withdrawals. Sberbank and American Express will continue to collaborate to
enable more payment choices for Sberbank merchants and Amex Cardmembers throughout Russia. Svetlana
Kirsanova, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank: “The partnership between Sberbank and
American Express will position our clients taking advantage of acquiring services to boost their trade transactions
with new customers holding American Express cards. On top of that, the new partnership should favor tourist
flow in Russia, which is growing every year, letting tourists pay with American Express cards when visiting the
country. Moreover, American Express Cardmembers will be able to withdraw cash from Sberbank ATMs in
practically any part of Russia, when they need to”.
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Sberbank (Russia) developing cooperation with Federal Tax Service of Russia
68
Sberbank and the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation have finished the integration of their mobile
services Sberbank Online and Tax Account Profile for Individuals, thus letting the bank’s clients pay taxes using
Sberbank Online app. To pay your taxes you can simply learn your accrued liability with the mobile app of the
Tax Account Profile for Individuals service and by tapping the Sberbank Online button go to the bank’s app to
confirm the payment. This payment method is very convenient as you don’t need to input payment or bank card
details such as the card number, its expiration date, and the CVC code. The payment receipt is always available in
the transaction history, if necessary, you can print it out. In addition, you can generate a payment confirmation
with a blue stamp any time, and it will be similar to the one you can get at a bank branch. About 45% of all the tax
payments Russians have made through Sberbank’s payments services this year have been made online. The
number of tax payments using Sberbank Online mobile app grows most actively as the solution gives you the
option of scanning the bar code on a tax notice. In October 2019, the number of payments grew by 33%
year-over-year.
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Sberbank (Russia) and BGF Bank sign memorandum to expand cooperation
69
Sberbank and Housing Finance Bank JSC, or BGF Bank, have signed a memorandum to expand their cooperation
in arranging and placing mortgage bond issues during Sberbank’s annual conference called “Financial
Institutions: Industry Innovations”. Signed by Head of Global Markets at Sberbank, and Chairwoman of the
Board at BGF Bank, the memorandum aims at developing cooperation and strengthening ties in arranging and
placing issues of mortgage bonds. The parties stated their intention to help each other arrange securitization deals
covering portfolios of mortgage loans and place issues of mortgage bonds. Vice President, Head of Global
Markets, Sberbank, “The Memorandum we’ve signed is a continuation of the project we’re running together to
build a funding and securitization platform. This signifies closer cooperation and lets us unite our efforts,
extensive expertise, and knowledge of the market. We believe that our partnership will give a powerful impetus to
the Russian market for mortgage assets securitization.”
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Sberbank (Russia) and Rosseti South to run joint healthcare project using DocDoc
platform
70
Sberbank, Sberbank ecosystem’s DocDoc healthcare service, and IDGC of South JSC (Rosseti South) have signed
a trilateral memorandum of cooperation and collaboration to run healthcare and social responsibility projects.
Signed at the Power Grids International Forum, the memorandum envisages telemedicine checkups for Rosseti
South drivers. Every day as many as 2,500 company drivers pass through mandatory physical exams ahead of
their shifts. Rosseti South is set to buy telemedicine physical examination (TPE) equipment from DocDoc. As a
result, the checkup will be available any time of the day and its duration should slide from today’s 7–10 minutes
to 1.5–2 minutes. The move should streamline operations of the company’s drivers, improve the precision of
exams and cut operating expenses on medical doctors. After the checkup the TPE machine will print out a slip
with the examination results.
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SberLogistics and Hermes Russia agree to cooperate
71
SberLogistics, a Sberbank ecosystem resident, is expanding the list of its pickup points together with Hermes
Russia, which has one of the biggest nationwide networks of pickup points. Under the agreement, SberLogistics
customers will be able collect their parcels from 1,635 pickup points of Hermes throughout Russia starting early
2020. SberLogistics entered the market in November 2019, but even today it has a network of 6,000 pickup
points. In 2020, they will be complemented by 2,000+ parcel lockers in Dixy shops, 2,500 Sberbank branches,
and 5,000 more parcel lockers across 800 cities of Russia. SberLogistics runs its own delivery service in 19
biggest cities of Russia and in 465 cities it relies on delivery partners. On top of that the company is setting up a
nationwide warehouse network: class A warehouses were opened in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg,
Vladivostok, and Rostov-on-Don. The convenient location of pickup points along the main city routes and in the
most popular spots makes Hermes the best choice for consumers who regularly place orders in online stores.
Another huge upside of Hermes for consumers is the convenient hours designed to maximize value for metropolis
residents. Today, the company cooperates with most of the key market players and many customers have already
been able to appreciate the opportunity to receive their orders at Hermes pickup points.
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Sberbank (Russia) and Vita pharmacies to run joint telemedicine project via
DocDoc platform
72
Sberbank, Sberbank ecosystem’s DocDoc medical service, and Vita pharmacy chain have signed a trilateral
memorandum of cooperation and collaboration in telemedicine for the year 2020. Back in September 2019,
DocDoc and Vita pharmacy chain unlocked telemedicine services for all customers who made purchases at any of
the Vita pharmacies and got a promo code guaranteeing them an unlimited number of consultations with a GP and
a pediatrician for a month. Over three months of the pilot, more than 170,000 DocDoc app promo codes were
distributed. Today the stakeholders have made the decision to extend and prolong their partnership into 2020, with
the plan to distribute over 2.5 mln promo codes. Chairman, Povolzhsky Bank of Sberbank, “It’s important for us
to take care of the customers’ health, which is why promoting our partnership with the nationwide pharmacy chain
Vita is a crucial step to achieve this goal. Sberbank offers DocDoc telemedicine services in a modern and
convenient way. With it, pharmacy chain customers can enjoy high-quality medical advice from pediatricians and
general practitioners 24/7.”
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The World Bank teams up with SEB (Sweden) to launch a green bond in Denmark
73
With SEB as lead manager, The World Bank has launched its first green bond denominated in Danish kroner
(DKK). Institutional investors in both Denmark and Sweden have shown great interest in the bond and several
pension funds are already on board. The World Bank’s green bonds are issued to support the financing of different
environmental projects – all the way from renewable energy installations to new technologies in waste
management. SEB’s cooperation with The World Bank regarding green bonds has been up and running for over a
decade. When the World Bank issued its first green bond in 2008, this was done together with SEB. The new,
Danish bond is the World Bank’s first issuance in DKK since 1997. ”The challenges posed by increased pollution,
climate stress and consumption require cooperation across markets, mandates and sectors. This transaction is yet
another example of how that can be achieved through the financial markets – now with strong support from
Danish asset owners”, says Head of Climate and Sustainable Finance at SEB.
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Unicaja Banco (Spain) renews its agreement with the Chamber of Commerce of León to offer
members of the Chamber Club financial services on advantageous terms
74
Unicaja Banco has renewed the collaboration agreement it has with the Chamber of Commerce of León , whereby
it offers members of the Chamber Club financial products and services under advantageous conditions. This
collaboration agreement has been signed by the Territorial Director of Unicaja Banco in León, Marga Serna, and
the President of the Chamber of Commerce of León, Javier Vega. Unicaja Banco is a preferential associate of the
Chamber of León and with this agreement extends its offer of services to all members of the Chamber Club.
Specifically, freelancers and companies have specific products for the management of their financing, such as
loans for the promotion of self-employment or the first company, confirmig , leasing , renting , ICO lines and all
those available through digital banking. With the signing of this agreement, Unicaja Banco also renews its
exclusive sponsorship of the Export Awards, organized annually by the Leon Chamber of Commerce, thus
reinforcing its commitment to export companies. In general, the renewal of this agreement reinforces the
relationship between the two entities, aimed at achieving the common objectives of promoting the business fabric,
facilitating economic momentum and supporting the employment of León and its province.
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Unicaja Banco (Spain) signs an agreement with the association La Gota Roja de Málaga to raise
awareness among young people of the need to donate blood
75
Unicaja Banco has signed an agreement with the Association of Blood Donors of Malaga La Gota Roja with the
objective of collaborating with this organization in the development of its campaigns to raise awareness of the need
to donate, especially to young people. Therefore, the financial institution will support the information and
dissemination project 'Sign up for a Blood Donor' , which is developed in institutes and university centers and which
aims to reach young people between 15 and 20 years to raise awareness about the importance of blood donations,
especially considering that it is essential to increase them, and not only in the short term, but especially with a view
to the future. The agreement has been signed by the Director of Institutional Relations and with Interest and Social
Groups of Unicaja Banco, Fernando Ríos, and the President of the Association of Blood Donors of Malaga La Gota
Roja, Carlos Guirado. The support of Unicaja Banco to La Gota Roja is part of its Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) policy and in its desire to promote those social projects and actions that contribute to well-being and that
report benefits to the whole society in which it leads to carry out your activity The project 'Sign up a Tanto-Dona
Sangre' aims to bring the donation to the youngest population, promote the values of solidarity and volunteering and
ensure that blood needs are met.
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Bank of Ireland Opens Leveraged Acquisition Finance Office in Madrid
76
Bank of Ireland has opened a new Leveraged Acquisition Finance office in Madrid. Located on Calle José Ortega y Gasset, in the
Salamanca district of the city, the office is focused on supporting domestic and international private equity sponsors with financing
solutions in the region. The Madrid office is Bank of Ireland’s seventh Leveraged Acquisition Finance location globally. The expansion
in Spain reflects the continued growth of leveraged buyouts in the region, where Bank of Ireland already has a positive track record.
Bank of Ireland has appointed Beltran Paredes to head up the new operation and the Spanish team complements colleagues in Dublin,
London, Paris and Frankfurt in addressing the financing needs of private equity clients across Europe. The team will also work on
transatlantic transactions in conjunction with US colleagues in Stamford, Connecticut and Chicago.
Supporting the establishment of the branch, Bank of Ireland has already acted as Mandated Lead Arranger (‘MLA’) on several
important deals in Spain in 2019, including:
• MLA on Intermediate Capital Group’s buyout of business process outsourcing specialist Grupo Konecta;
• MLA on the buyout by MCH Private Equity of leading Spanish food producer Grupo Palacios Alimentación;
• MLA on EQT’s buyout of global women’s health and reproductive genetic services specialist Igenomix;
• Joint MLA of the Super Senior RCF facility supporting Advent International’s buyout of leading Spanish dental clinics group
Vitaldent;
• MLA, and sole TLB arranger, on the refinancing of Investcorp’s portfolio business Agromillora, a leading developer and distributor of
high yielding plants and trees.
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BNP Paribas (France) achieves another first amongst foreign banks in
China
77
BNP Paribas China Ltd has become the first foreign bank to underwrite an onshore corporate bond issued by a
Chinese domestic issuer in the China market, after being awarded the Type-A Corporate Bond Lead
Underwriting Licence in September this year. BNP Paribas China Ltd acted as a joint lead underwriter for
China Universal Leasing Co. Ltd’s RMB 500 million bond, issued on December 9. The super short-term
commercial paper marks the first time a foreign financial institution has worked with a domestic player to issue
in the world’s second-biggest market. BNP Paribas China Ltd was granted a Type-A licence, allowing it to lead
underwrite domestic corporate debt from Chinese companies, from China’s National Association of Financial
Market Institutional Investors in September. Previously, BNP Paribas China was awarded the Type B licence in
December of 2018. CEO of BNP Paribas China Ltd, said: “We are honored to become the first foreign bank to
underwrite a bond issued by a Chinese domestic company, underscoring our consistent commitment to China.
As a fully-licenced bank, BNP Paribas brings the strength of our comprehensive onshore expertise to
continually help more foreign investors navigate China’s market and deepen our engagement in China’s
domestic financial market to help our clients achieve their long-term business ambitions.”
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CIMB (Malaysia) Allocates Rm50 Million To Empower Micro Smes
Segment
78
CIMB Bank Berhad and CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad recently announced an allocation of RM50 million to benefit the
micro Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) segment. The allocation will be disbursed via CIMB SME Micro Financing-i,
an Islamic working capital with financing amount of up to RM50,000. CIMB’s support of the micro SME sector also
complements the Government’s newly announced stimulus measure to aid the growth of SMEs in the 2020 budget and is in
line with the Government’s National Entrepreneurship Policy to have 50% of Malaysia’s GDP contributed by SMEs by
2030. This micro financing solution by CIMB is made available via Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Berhad’s
(CGC) imSME platform, an online SME financing referral platform launched in 2018. imSME is an innovative idea mooted
by Bank Negara Malaysia and supported by other participating banks. The online platform enables SMEs to access fast and
real-time information on financing options. SMEs can sign up for CIMB’s micro financing solution via imSME at 30 CIMB
branches currently. The platform will be made available at all CIMB branches nationwide by year-end. Other collaborations
between CIMB and CGC include a strategic partnership sealed in April 2019 to provide SMEs access to RM2 billion in
financing through CGC’s Portfolio Guarantee-i scheme. Separately, CIMB Bank also recently launched the CIMB SME
Renewable Energy Financing to help SMEs in Malaysia. This scheme covers 100% financing – from as low as RM20,000
and up to RM1 million – for SMEs to install solar photovoltaic systems on their rooftops to help offset energy cost.
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CIMB Islamic To Provide Up To Rm100 Million Financing For Sme
Businesses To Achieve Halal Status
79
CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad has unveiled its latest proposition in support of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) looking to grow
their business in the global halal market. Through CIMB HalalBizReady, the proposition provides financing packages that help
businesses become compatible with the requirements of halal certification whether by getting their premises, operations or supply
chain to be to be in line with those requirements. CIMB HalalBizReady is part of CIMB’s refreshed SME proposition’s suite of
solutions that comprises three main pillars: SME Transact, SME Financing and collaborations via industry SME Partners. Apart
from business financing, CIMB HalaBizReady also gives customers access to a wider global and regional market via the CIMB
Trade Club platform, and access to the expertise of CIMB’s halal-based strategic partnerships which aim to facilitate businesses to
become Halal ready for further growth. The CIMB Trade Club is an exclusive digital e-commerce ecosystem participated by 14
global banks whose network spans over 50 countries, and is aimed at empowering member companies to promote their businesses
and expand their markets globally. This is further supported by CIMB’s SME Transact pillar, providing cash management services,
as well as potential reward opportunities of up to 2% hibah per annum for current accounts and fee waivers on online business
banking. Additionally, under the SME Financing pillar, eligible Shariah-compliant SMEs have access to financing of between
RM10,000 to RM1 million, 70% of which will be guaranteed by Credit Guarantee Corporation, adding further convenience to
businesses who are seeking to expand into the halal market.
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Commerzbank (Germany) acquisition offer deadline for comdirect has
expired
80
Under the voluntary public acquisition offer of Commerzbank AG for all the outstanding shares of comdirect bank Aktiengesellschaft, the
acceptance deadline on 6 December 2019 has now expired. By the end of the acceptance deadline, comdirect shareholders had tendered a
total of 457,343 shares. Including the comdirect shares already held by Commerzbank, this shareholding corresponds to a proportion of
approximately 82.63 per cent of all the shares. This means that the offer condition of a minimum acceptance threshold of 90 per cent has not
been met so that the acquisition offer is not executed. comdirect shareholders will therefore initially retain their shares. The integration of
comdirect will now take place by means of a direct merger into Commerzbank. Following consent granted by the general meetings of both
companies, the shareholders of comdirect will receive Commerzbank shares in exchange for their shares. The exchange ratio will be
determined on the basis of expert reports on the value of comdirect and Commerzbank. The direct merger was already announced as an
alternative at the end of September 2019. Since it was founded in 1994, comdirect has set benchmarks in online banking with innovative
products, services, and advisory capabilities. Today, it is one of the leading direct banks and one of the leading online brokers in Germany.
The business models of the two companies are becoming ever more closely aligned, and this is why comdirect shall be integrated into
Commerzbank to become part of a strong, innovative multichannel bank. As a result of this, it will also be able to benefit from scale effects
and growth opportunities within the Group. In addition to the strategic advantages, Commerzbank will be able to realise significant
potential synergies from the integration.
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JPMorgan Chase & Co. (USA) Commits $1 Million to Assist Military Veterans in
DFW
81
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is announcing its support for U.S. Military Veterans in Dallas-Fort Worth with a local commitment
surpassing $1 million to impact Vets where they live and work. The investments will support veterans as they make the
transition to civilian life by training them for careers in the IT industry, encouraging veteran entrepreneurs and supporting
free local mental health services. Bunker Labs, a national organization working to create the next generation of veteran
entrepreneurs, will establish its first Dallas chapter with support from JPMorgan Chase. The launch celebration for the first
local Bunker Labs chapter will be held November 20 and will include an entrepreneur forum showcasing veteran and
military spouse leaders. The kickoff session will include a fireside chat with, founder and CEO of Bunker Labs. Breakout
sessions will discuss topics including access to capital, branding, digital marketing and advice for establishing a successful,
independent business. After World War II, 49.7% of returning veterans owned and operated a business. For Korean War
veterans, that number was 40.1%. More than 60 years later, only 5.6 percent of post 9/11 veterans have started their own
business. The decrease is not due to lack of interest. Nearly one in four veterans said they were thinking of starting a
business in a 2004 study conducted for the Small Business Administration.
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J.P. Morgan (USA) Deploys Nearly €4 Million EUR ($4.5 Million USD) to Prepare
Greater Paris Residents for the Future of Work
82
J.P. Morgan announced that it has deployed nearly €4 million EUR ($4.5 million USD) during the first year of its $30 million USD, five-year commitment to equip
underserved residents in Île-de-France, particularly in Seine-Saint-Denis, with the skills they need to qualify for in-demand jobs in a rapidly changing economy. These initial
investments are focused on new data and research to inform J.P. Morgan’s strategy focused on connecting Seine-Saint-Denis residents with quality training and jobs, and
helping young and long-term unemployed residents develop the skills required for major infrastructure and economic development projects planned in and around Paris.
These philanthropic investments are part of AdvancingCities, which aims to connect people in underserved communities with greater economic opportunity. It builds on the
firm’s 150-year commitment to serving clients and the local communities in France and applies lessons from J.P. Morgan’s proven investment model, which has been
recognized for its impact by Harvard Business School. Over the past year, J.P. Morgan accelerated its innovative efforts to connect underserved young people and adults with
in-demand skills in collaboration with local community organizations, business and political leaders. Specifically, the firm invested nearly €4 million EUR ($4.5 million
USD) in:
• Digital Upskilling: €2.6 million EUR ($2.9 million USD) to Simplon, OpenClassrooms and Social Builder to prepare youth and women of all ages in Seine-Saint-Denis for
in-demand jobs in the growing digital sector - such as web developers, web integrators and payroll managers - through apprenticeships, hands-on training and mentorship.
• J.P. Morgan has been closely collaborating with local political leaders to help maximize the reach and impact of these investments. They are designed to complement the
government’s strategy to encourage workforce training in France through its commitment to apprenticeships for young people and the CPF, offering personal training
accounts to enable more people to participate in qualifying training.
• Skills Development for Ongoing Economic Development Activity: €1 million EUR ($1.1 million USD) to Les Compagnons du Devoir to connect young and long-term
unemployed adults in Île-de-France with skills for in-demand, well-paid jobs in sectors like construction to qualify for jobs that support major economic development and
infrastructure projects, which are underway, such as the rebuilding of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
• Research: €200,000 EUR ($230,280) to Institut Montaigne to identify the barriers to employment in Seine-Saint-Denis and offer a roadmap to address those barriers. The
research will take into account ongoing economic activity in the area, and major economic development and infrastructure projects.
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LUKB (Switzerland) opens new customer hall at Brauiplatz in Hochdorf
83
From, November 25, 2019, the LUKB welcomes its customers back to Brauiplatz 2 in Hochdorf. With
Hochdorf, it opens the third branch, which is designed according to the new customer hall concept. The new
premises can be visited on the open house on November 30, 2019. After almost 3 months of renovation, LUKB
will open its new customer hall on Brauiplatz on November 25, 2019. After Schüpfheim and Sempach,
Hochdorf is the third LUKB branch, which is designed according to the newly developed customer hall
concept. With the structural adjustments to the branches, the bank is responding to the changes that digitization
brings to the physical locations. It is important to the LUKB to empower customer advisors with an accredited
standard for their demanding advisory work. That is why the bank invests a lot in training, with the result that
all LUKB customer advisors are SAQ-certified with a few exceptions.
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Virgin Money (UK) invests in new digital disruption hub in the North East
84
Virgin Money is investing in a new digital disruption hub at its offices in Gosforth, Newcastle, to help achieve its ambition of disrupting the status quo and
delivering top‐class customer experiences. This new centre of expertise will be a central hub to drive significant investment in technology, creating new
digital products, services and user experiences built on its existing, advanced digital banking infrastructure and technology. The new teams being created in
the digital disruption hub will lead work on radically transforming the digital and wider customer experience for the Bank’s 6.6m customers. Some of the
digital disruption hub’s immediate priorities will be driving further innovation and improvements to the way in which Virgin Money serves its mortgage
and business banking customers, bringing the very best in disruptive thinking to fulfil Virgin Money’s mission to bring the brighter side of money to its
customers. The choice of Newcastle as the home for the new disruption hub further cements Virgin Money’s commitment to Newcastle and its Jubilee
House HQ in Gosforth. As well as owning and investing in Jubilee House, where the Bank employs c.2,000 people, the Bank recently moved its registered
office for the Virgin Money UK group to Newcastle. The new centre will scale over time and is expected to have a team of over 200 people working in it
by the end of 2020. It will be structured around the Bank’s three customer divisions, retail, mortgages and business, with each area split down into smaller
‘squads’ focussed on rapidly delivering product and experience enhancements for customers. The Bank has a strong track record in digital innovation and
disruption. Prior to Virgin Money coming together with Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, the Bank pioneered new customer innovation centres under its
digital brand B, with a centre, open to customers and the public, in London and the opening of state of the art concept stores supporting small business and
personal customers in Birmingham and Manchester. The B account and B stores will be rebranded to Virgin Money in December when the Bank fires the
starting gun on its full rebrand programme.
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Event Updates
Banking Industry

Event Updates
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Upcoming Events - Banking
Senior Retail Banking Forum
In Senior Retail Banking Forum you will Improve your
effectiveness as Retail Banking Officer, you will discuss current
industry challenges with others in Retail banking, Solve your
most pressing problems, also can grow professionally as well as
personally and much more.
Hosted By : Indiana Bankers
Indianapolis, USA
1 Jan, 2020
https://indianabankers.org/user/login?destination=aa-event/3451
Contractual Risk, Insurance and Indemnities
The Contractual Risk, Insurance and Indemnities conference will combine
conventional teaching with a high level of participation, including an
interactive approach to involving participants in discussion of topics,
exercises, and encouraging participants to bring their own experiences
forward for discussion and debate.
Hosted By : euromatech
Dubai, UAE
29 Dec, 2019 - 2 Jan, 2020
http://www.euromatech.com/seminars/contractual-risk-insurance-and-indemnities
Asia Pacific Conference on Finance and Economics
In Senior Retail Banking Forum you will Improve your effectiveness
as Retail Banking Officer, you will discuss current industry challenges
with others in Retail banking, Solve your most pressing problems, also
can grow professionally as well as personally and much more.
Hosted By : Indiana Bankers
Indianapolis, USA
1 Dec, 2020
https://indianabankers.org/user/login?destination=aa-event/3451
WRIAAnnual Meeting
The Contractual Risk, Insurance and Indemnities conference will combine
conventional teaching with a high level of participation, including an
interactive approach to involving participants in discussion of topics,
exercises, and encouraging participants to bring their own experiences
forward for discussion and debate.
Hosted By : euromatech
Dubai, UAE
29 Dec - 2 Jan, 2020
http://www.euromatech.com/seminars/contractual-risk-insurance-and-indemnities
AREUEA-ASSA Conference
Asia Pacific Conference on Finance and Economics is a platform for
researchers, scientists, scholars, students and industry professionals from
around the world to present their current research, and foster alliances with
peers. This conference cover tracks are finance, management, GDP,
econometrics, economics, e-commerce, import, modelling, management,
microeconomic, export, demand & supply, banking, macroeconomics,
business, bitcoin and etc.
Hosted By : East Asia Research
Gold Coast, Australia
4 Jan, 2020
https://apef.ear.com.sg/
The AFAAnnual Meeting
WRIAAnnual Meeting aims to promote education and
research in the field of Risk Management and Insurance.
Hosted By : WRIA
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
2-5 Jan, 2020
https://www.wria.org/
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hawaii accounting research conference (harc)
AREUEA-ASSA Conference will focus on theoretical, empirical, and policy
research in real estate economics, real estate finance, and urban economics.
Additionally, AREUEA hosts a Doctoral Session which invited distinguished
scholars to share their insights and wisdom with students on topics such as career
planning, publishing, and research. Furthermore selected students can present their
current research at the doctoral poster session which is held in conjunction with a
reception in their honor.
Hosted By : AREUEA
San Diego, USA
3-5 Jan, 2020
https://www.areuea.org/conferences/details.phtml?id=117
Gradient Summit
The AFAAnnual Meeting is the premier academic organization devoted to the study
and promotion of knowledge about financial economics. It aims to provide for the
mutual association of persons with an interest in finance, to improve public under-
standing of financial problems, to provide for the exchange of financial ideas
through the distribution of a periodical and other media, to encourage the study of
finance in colleges and universities, to conduct such other activities as may be
appropriate for a non-profit, professional society in the field of finance.
Hosted By : AFA
San Diego, USA
3-5 Jan, 2020
https://afajof.org/
Option Symposium
Gradient Summit focuses on offering fixed annuities and life
insurance and it maintains a distinct separation of life and annuity
products to ensure dedicated and specialized attention, and Gradient
Annuity Brokerage focuses on annuity products.
Hosted By : Gradient
Miami, USA
3-5 Jan, 2020
http://gradientsummit.com/
State and Local Tax Conference
KEY WEST International Academic Conference on Business, Economics,
Finance and Accounting focuses on the topics such as Accounting, Banking,
Business Ethics, Communication & Media, e-Business, e-Government,
e-Learning, Ecology, Economics, Education, Engineering, Environment &
Life Sciences, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Gender Studies, Globalization,
HR, and much more.
Hosted By : IAABR
Florida, USA
3-5 Jan, 2020
http://www.iaabr.com/conferences/key-west/
Silicon Valley Funding Summit
Option Symposium is a dedicated Conference on Options Trading. It's the
first of its kind conference bringing together the country's top Option Fund
Managers, Derivative Analysts, Option Trainers & Individual Option Traders
who would join hands to enlighten the option enthusiasts with various
Practical Options Trading styles and their winning strategies.
Hosted By : Fintech
Mumbai, India
4-5 Jan, 2020
https://symposium.quantsapp.com/
Public Funds Summit
The State and Local Tax Conference is a platform to
discover, new tax developments at the state and local
level. Important issues that impact you and your clients
will be discussed.
Hosted By : Illinois CPA Society
Portland, USA
6 Jan, 2020
https://www.icpas.org/education/in-person-learning/conferences/state-and-local-tax-conference
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BAFI Conference
Silicon Valley Funding Summit aims to connect accredited
investors and corporate partners to global startups. It focuses on
Consumer and Enterprise, Hardware, Software, and Big Data -
Smart Devices, Smart City, eHealth, FinTech, and more.
Hosted By : AngelLaunch
Las Vegas, USA
6 Jan, 2020
https://www.svfundingsummit.com/
India Investment Conference
The Public Funds Summit provides a unique environment in
which members of the public sector can exchange ideas and
learn from other delegates, money managers, and
consultants. Although attendance is not limited to those in
the public sector, the conference takes aim at topics that are
of particular relevance to public pension funds.
Hosted By : opalgroup
Arizona, USA
6-8 Jan, 2020
https://opalgroup.net/conference/public-funds-summit-2020/
Federal Financial Systems Summit
BAFI Conference aim is to bring together researchers and developers
from data science and related areas with practitioners and consultants
applying the respective techniques in different business-related
domains. Our goal is to stimulate an academic exchange of recent
developments as well as to encourage the mutual influence between
academics and practitioners.
Hosted By : BAFi
Santiago, Chile
6-8 Jan, 2020
http://baficonference.cl/20/default/inicio
Alternative Accounts Europe Conference
India Investment Conference provides an opportunity for delegators to
improve their understanding in reference with key issues that helps in driving
investment decision making in the country. The event is hosted by a joint
association of CFA Society India and CFA Institute. This event is a must
attend for all investment related professionals. The event includes more than
500 professionals in the field of investment and attends the event to learn
from prestigious international and national speakers.
Hosted By : CFA Institute
Mumbai, India
9 Jan, 2020
https://indiaconf.cfainstitute.org/
BAFT Global Annual Meeting - Europe
Financial Systems Summit will provide new insights into the burgeoning
federal financial systems modernization strategy over the coming decade and
beyond. It discusses the near-term and future prospects of federal financial
management systems in a budget constrained environment.
Hosted By : AGA
Washington DC, USA
9 Jan, 2020
https://www.agacgfm.org/FSS/FSS-Home.aspx
2020 MABA Winter Conference
Alternative Accounts Europe Conference aims to bring together
scholars interested in interdisciplinary and critical perspectives on
accounts and accounting. We invite scholars to challenge dominant
representations of accounting and to present alternative accounts of
accounting practice, its diverse and multiple histories, contexts, and
constituents.
Hosted By : University of Leicester
Leicester, UK
9 Jan, 2020
https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/business/news-and-events/events/2019/AlternativeAccountsEurope2020
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Wisconsin Agribusiness Classic
A consistent attendee favorite, the Global Annual Meeting –
Europe is the premier bank to bank forum in the region,
gathering senior transaction bankers, providers and other
stakeholders from 100+ organizations worldwide. This year,
we’ll take a closer look at what trends will shape the industry in
the new decade.
Hosted By : BAFT
Frankfurt, Germany
13-15 Jan, 2020
https://baft.org/events/show-event?id=3019293&formtype=Registrant
South Dakota Ag Expo
The Michigan Agri-Business Association Winter
Conference and Trade Show will be held January 13-15,
2020 at the Lansing Center in Lansing, Michigan.
Hosted By : MABA
Michigan,USA
13-15 Jan, 2020
http://miagbiz.org/index.php/events/44-2019-maba-winter-conference-1
94th Annual Mid-Winter Meeting
The Wisconsin Agribusiness Classic is Wisconsin's premier agribusiness industry event
drawing interest and participation from all confluences of the industry from throughout the
Midwestern states. The program is held at the Alliant Energy Center each January and boasts
an attendance of nearly 1,400 attendees. The conference and tradeshow is a collaborative
effort between the Wisconsin Agri-Business Association and the University of Wisconsin. The
depth of coverage and exhibits provided through the conference and tradeshow makes it clear
why the Wisconsin Agribusiness Classic is Wisconsin's premier industry event.
Hosted By : Wisconsin Agribusiness Classic
Madison, WI
14-16 Jan, 2020
https://agclassic.org/
Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit
The South Dakota Ag Expo is a jointly sponsored trade show of the
South Dakota Grain & Feed Association and the South Dakota
Agri-Business Association. It attracts over 1,300 attendees from
across the region from all facts of the agribusiness industry.
Hosted By : Agri-Business Association
Sioux Falls, SD
15-16 Jan, 2020
https://www.agexpo-sd.org/
AFBF Annual Convention & Trade Show
Agriculture faced multiple challenges over the past year, including a trade war,
unprecedented Midwest planting problems and an early October winter storm,
among others. Meanwhile, African Swine Fever continues to ravage hog production
in China and the most of the rest of East Asia, along with Russia and portions of
Eastern Europe. Arlan will discuss both the challenges and opportunities for U.S.
agriculture in 2020 as we see these issues continue to play out.
Hosted By : SECURITY TRADERS ASSOCIATION OF CHICAGO
Chicago,USA
15-16 Jan, 2020
https://www.stachicago.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1195645&group=
National Biodiesel Conference & Expo
If you want the inside scoop when it comes to policies and perspectives that
will affect your farm or agribusiness in 2020, don’t miss the 101st
consecutive American Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Convention &
Trade Show. This is your opportunity to help set the agenda for the leading
voice of agriculture in Washington, DC, and so much more. Participate in
educational workshops to advance your leadership skills, expand your
business acumen, and gain deep insight into the trends and realities
impacting food production.
Hosted By : AFBF
Austin, TX
18 Jan, 2020
https://annualconvention.fb.org/
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Indiana Energy Risk Academy
The North Dakota Grain Dealers Association will hold
their Annual Convention and Industry Show January
19-21, 2020 at the Holiday Inn in Fargo, North Dakota.
Hosted By : NDGD
Fargo, ND
19-21 Jan, 2020
https://www.ndgda.org/events/convention-information
Treasury Symposium 2020
The National Biodiesel Conference & Expo will be held
January 20-23 at the Tampa Convention Center in
Tampa, Florida. INTL FCStone is a proud sponsor of
this event.
Hosted By : National Biodiesel Board
Florida, USA
20-23 Jan, 2020
https://www.biodieselconference.org/
Manitoba Ag Days
INTL FCStone Financial Inc. is hosting the Indiana Energy Risk
Management Academy. This interactive seminar will give an
introduction to the importance of price-risk management, the futures,
options and OTC markets, and energy risk management techniques for
both buyers and sellers of energy products.
Hosted By : Iowa Pork Producers Association
Zionsville, IN
22-23 Jan, 2020
http://www.iowaporkcongress.org/
Dairy Forum 2020
Treasury Symposium is the premier educational forum for treasury professionals in
higher education. The Treasury Institute for Higher Education leverages the
expertise of its partners, faculty and participants to create an environment for sharing
best ideas and developing successful strategies. Treasury Symposium is focused on
the challenges facing higher education's senior managers. The curriculum is
designed to stimulate thought leadership and provide "best of breed" ideas.
Hosted By : The Treasury Institute for Higher Education
Charleston, USA
15-16 Jan, 2020
http://www.treasuryinstitute.org/symposium-description-2020
International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE)
The Manitoba Ag Days show is an exposition of agricultural
production expertise, technology, and equipment that attracts
exhibitors and visitors from across Canada and the United States
of America.
Hosted By : agdays
Arizona, USA
21 Jan, 2020
https://www.agdays.com/
Nebraska Agri-Business Exposition
IDFA will refund the registration fee, minus a $75 processing fee, for any
cancellation received prior to December 20, 2019. Cancellations received
after December 20, 2019, will be eligible for a 50 percent refund, less the
processing fee. Your Dairy Forum registration fee is non-refundable after
January 10, 2020. Substitutions may be made without penalty. All
cancellations and substitutions must be received in writing at
registrar@idfa.org. IDFA reserves the right to cancel all unpaid registrations.
Hosted By : IDFA
Arizona, USA
26-29 Jan, 2020
https://www.idfa.org/forms/meeting/MeetingFormPublic/view?id=7DAEA00000052
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