New digital financial infrastructure, new regional free trade agreements, and decisive leadership in the emerging sustainability and green agenda bode well for international RMB adoption.
New digital financial infrastructure, new regional free trade agreements, and decisive leadership in the emerging sustainability and green agenda bode well for international RMB adoption.
The use of RMB in international transactions will increase despite US-China trade frictions and on-going COVID-19 pandemic according to the latest annual survey on RMB internationalisation conducted jointly by China Construction Bank and Asian Banker Research.
Innovation by financial technology companies (fintechs) has led to many banks opening their doors for collaborations. The strategic approaches, often multidimensional, vary from investments to building an ecosystem and technology partnership
President Xi Jinping’s pet project – “The Belt and Road Initiative” – aims to link Asia, Europe and Africa by rewriting global trade routes. With such a big project, China’s accompanying motivations are also enormous. Be it on an economic, political or strategic-level, the project is sold almost as a catch-all solution.
Regulators in Asia Pacific such as Indonesia's OJK are actively planning for measures to promote the growth of fintech in the region.
China Merchants Bank and China CITIC Bank are developing their credit card businesses to stimulate retail income.
While crowdlending in Asia Pacific shows early promise, its fate will be dictated by how regulators and banks respond to the challenges they pose.
It is clear that China’s goal of becoming the world’s largest economy by 2020 and the internationalisation of the RMB are two initiatives that are symbiotic in nature. With the recent IMF decision to include the currency in the SDR currency basket, what does the future hold for the RMB?
Despite considerable variations within the Middle East and Africa, the banking sector as a whole achieved good financial performance in 2014
Chinese private banks are upgrading philanthropic planning services to cater to increased demand following the country’s ‘common prosperity’ policy
The shift in global supply chains is accelerating demand for new financing programmes and solutions that aim to accelerate and improve trade digitalisation processes
An altered operating environment has led treasury to reprioritise their investment and liquidity management strategy, with cash management providers offering enhanced solutions
Brian Lo is a seasoned risk professional with nearly 30 years of experience across global financial institutions. Based in Hong Kong and Singapore, he has led teams in managing market and liquidity risk, counterparty risk, and asset and liability management. His expertise encompasses quantitative modelling, risk governance, stress testing, and regulatory compliance. Brian has also played a critical role in developing internal risk models, driving strategic initiatives, and advising on cutting-edge risk solutions, including AI and machine learning applications. Throughout his career, he has served on multiple risk committees, providing strategic insights to senior management and boards, and has been instrumental in implementing Basel reforms and risk management innovations. Brian’s approach integrates deep technical knowledge with practical leadership, making him a valuable contributor to banking risk management education and practice.
Urs Bolt is a seasoned professional with over 35 years of expertise in wealth management, investment banking, and technology. He helps individuals achieve financial well-being and advises senior leaders in financial services and technology on refining business strategies, developing markets, and forging impactful partnerships. Recognised as a global thought leader in digital banking, WealthTech, and decentralised finance, Urs is an active speaker, author, and jury member for esteemed awards and panels. A passionate advocate for sustainable progress, he champions energy policies that balance economic growth and ecological preservation through scientific solutions.
Sina is Chief Data Officer at Unique AG – a rising European startup providing a GenAI-driven platform called Unique.AI to better understand customers and build more meaningful client relationships. Unique.AI is a tailored solution for the financial industry that aims to increase productivity by automating manual workload through AI and ChatGPT solutions.
Sina is a proven GenAI and data transformation specialist for financial applications with over 20 years of experience. Before Unique AG, Sina led data strategy projects at Credit Suisse AG and worked as a consultant at Accenture AG. She lectures on GenAI, AI Governance, and Data Protection at top universities like HSG St. Gallen and HEC Paris, inspiring future tech leaders. Sina also mentors startups on GenAI applications and serves on the ISO expert council in Switzerland. She was recently honored with the “Women in Banking and Fintech 2024” award for her Thought Leadership on Data Protection and AI Governance for GenAI applications for Financial Services by Handelsblatt (#1 business newspaper in Germany). Sina holds a PhD in Financial Modeling from the University of St. Gallen (HSG, Switzerland) and a Diploma in Economics from the University of Mannheim (Germany).
John Januszczak is a seasoned fintech leader and the President & CEO of UBX Philippines, the fintech venture studio and fund of Union Bank of the Philippines. He was appointed to this role after joining UnionBank as a Consultant in 2018. Prior to this, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Manulife Philippines and held leadership roles such as Head of Global Business Process Management at Manulife Financial and Vice President of Product Management at Meta Software Corporation. His extensive experience in operations, technology, and financial services has positioned him as a key driver of digital transformation in the fintech space.
Under John’s leadership, UBX has grown into Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing fintech, building a robust ecosystem that helps startups and fintech founders access expertise, funding, and customers. He has spearheaded the incubation of award-winning ventures such as i2i, SeekCap, and BUX, while also managing a corporate venture fund that successfully invests in and scales fintech startups. By leveraging corporate ecosystems, open finance, and embedded finance, John continues to drive financial inclusion, innovation, and strategic growth in the Philippine fintech landscape.