Diamond Bank: SMEs essential to Nigeria’s growth

Elena Chong, Vicepresident, Credicorp Bank

Panama’s new investment-grade rating, combined with its strong banking sector, lends belief to projections that the country will continue to be a key performer in Latin America. Elena Chong describes how Panama’s banking system withstood the financial crisis, the government’s infrastructure plans for growth, and explains how Credicorp Bank’s unique services positions it ahead of its competitors.

Abdulkareem Abu Al Nasr, CEO, National Commercial Bank

While most people still consider Saudi Arabia to be heavily reliant on oil, economic diversification has been one of the country’s strategic pillars since the 1980s. Today oil accounts for only 28 percent of GDP, in part thanks to the commitment of banks like NCB to supporting SMEs and local corporates. CEO Abdulkareem Abu Al Nasr discusses the current business environment and the bank’s commitment to sustainability.

Pierre Imhof, CEO, Baiduri Bank

Four-time World Finance Banking Award winner Baiduri Bank is a major player in both commercial and retail banking in Brunei. Investing in technology has long been a strategy for the bank, and it has been paying off: Pierre Imhof discusses how the value-added services now being offered to corporate clients have secured their loyalty, and explains how the bank’s watchword ‘Local knowledge; global expertise’ has supported the bank’s enduring success.

Moataz Al Rafie, CEO, Ahli Bank Qatar

Qatar is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and is pursuing reforms to improve the entrepreneurial environment and diversify its economy beyond oil and gas. Supporting this business growth are commercial banks like Ahli Bank; CEO Moataz Al Rafie explains how the company is leveraging the latest technology to provide top services to its clients.

J K Olusegun Agbaje, Group Managing Director, Guaranty Trust Bank

Guaranty Trust Bank is the leading bank in Nigeria, with over 90 percent of the country’s corporations as clients and a rapidly expanding retail business. JK Olusegun Agbaje talks about the simple strategy which has secured Guaranty’s success, its commitment to social responsibility, and why now is the time to invest in Nigeria’s future.

Konstantin Vaysman, Chairman and CEO, First Ukrainian International Bank

First Ukrainian International Bank was founded in 1992 as a small corporate financial services provider, specialising in the medium-to-large corporate banking segment. Since then it has been expanding its services, welcoming smaller enterprises and establishing a retail banking presence through a network of 160 branches across the country. Konstantin Vaysman discusses the bank’s growth strategy and its commitment to transparency.

Nelson Machado, CEO, ActivoBank

The Portuguese economy has suffered in recent years, but Nelson Machado argues that progress over the last 18 months has been much better than expected. He outlines how ActivoBank’s core values of simplicity and innovation have seen its customer base grow more than 40 percent in one year.

Sami Farhat, General Manager, Invest Bank

Invest Bank believe that the secret to its success lies in a commitment to traditional, “pure” banking. Taking a slow-and-steady approach to growth has produced uninterrupted dividends for the last 18 years. Sami Farhat outlines how Invest Bank’s values of strong customer loyalty, managing resources effectively, and being prepared for the unexpected have made it one of the top four GCC banks.

Fernando Massú, CEO, CorpBanca

As the world’s top supplier of metal, Chile has been riding the commodities boom to become one of the healthiest economies in South America. CorpBanca is an outstanding partner to companies establishing themselves in the country, or – as it continues to grow across the continent – those already in Chile seeking to expand geographically. Fernando Massú discusses CorpBanca’s sound risk management and the synergies it enjoys as part of the large Saieh Group.