FinanceEconomics & Development
- - Banking & Finance
    
    IFC’s Blended Finance Department: Blending Public and Private Finance to Invest in Challenging Markets
    
    What can be done to encourage more private investment in developing countries, especially the poorest and
    
    John Häfelfinger, CEO of Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank (BLKB): Finding Strength and Promise by Planning for the Long Term
    
    John Häfelfinger, CEO of Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank (BLKB), talks to CFI.co about the opportunities afforded by sustainable
    
    Asian Development Bank: What Emerging Markets Can Teach Us About CSR
    
    Fifty years after Milton Friedman’s famous essay arguing that companies should focus solely on shareholder profits,
  - Markets
    
    Otaviano Canuto: Are We on the Verge of a New Commodity Super-Cycle?
    
    Commodity prices have recovered their 2020 losses and, in most cases, are now above pre-pandemic levels
    
    Otaviano Canuto: Dependency and Disconnect of U.S. Financial Markets
    
    U.S. stock and corporate bond markets performed extraordinarily well from the March financial shock caused by
    
    Evan Harvey, Nasdaq: Medium Is the Message – ESG Delivery and Market Distrust
    
    Despite cultural assumptions surrounding content and interpretation, we tend to believe that the way we communicate
  - SMEs
    
    CBRE: Approaching Shadows of Data Opacity and Risk From Flexible Office Market
    
    We live in a world that offers and value tailored convenience. We are accustomed to the
    
    Financial Centres Promote Economic Development: AIFC Goes for Growth by Backing SMEs Globally
    
    International Financial Centres (IFCs) are a necessary component of national and global economic growth. And increasingly,
    
    UNCTAD: Africa Rising
    
    Africa needs investment to advance sustainable development and see the continent prosper. James Zhan, Astrit Sulstarova
  - Economics & Convergence
    
    Global Imbalances and the Pandemic
    
    The International Monetary Fund’s tenth annual External Sector Report (ESR, August 2021) shows how current account
    
    World Bank on Sustainable Recovery: The Need for Long-Term Financing
    
    The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting every country’s health system and economy to a degree not seen
    
    Otaviano Canuto: Are We on the Verge of a New Commodity Super-Cycle?
    
    Commodity prices have recovered their 2020 losses and, in most cases, are now above pre-pandemic levels
SustainabilityBusiness Environment
- - CSR
    
    Spain NAB: ‘Impact-Washing…? It’s a Thing, and to be Avoided at All Costs
    
    The Spanish impact investment market is catching the eye of mainstream financiers — with increasing frequency.
    
    Evan Harvey, Nasdaq – SPACs and ESG: Convergence or Collision?
    
    The capital markets love nothing more than a new idea, especially one that promises to reward
    
    Asian Development Bank: Towards a Blue Deal to Restore the World’s Oceans
    
    Investments in recovering and maintaining a functioning marine ecosystem can form the foundation of a sustainable
  - Energy
    
    The Road to Decarbonisation
    
    The transition to zero emissions will involve three simultaneous economic processes: change in the relative prices
    
    Green Bonds: How Active Management Aims to Make the Most of a Dynamic Sector
    
    The market for financing linked to environmentally friendly projects and companies has already reached $1trn by
    
    Sherzod Khodjhaev, Deputy Minister for Energy, Republic of Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan Gets to Grips with Challenges of Responsible Electric Power Generation
    
    There is something magical about electricity: it has always been present, but its power was only
  - Innovation & Technology
    
    Banking CEOs Tell IBM What is Essential In A Post-Pandemic Reality
    
    “Uncertainty is the new normal” as reminded by Kristalina Georgieva, chairperson of the IMF, during her
    
    Jamie Smith: Champion of Tech that Keeps Crypto Functioning was Once in the Doubters’ Camp Herself
    
    Jamie Smith has great enthusiasm for blockchain, the secure distributed database technology that underlies cryptocurrency major
    
    Inclusive Markets Are Not Born: How UNCDF is Supporting Inclusive Digital Economies
    
    Inclusive Markets Are Not Born: How UNCDF is Supporting Inclusive Digital Economies by Advancing the Right
  - Governance & Legal
    
    EY: Argentina’s Need for Tax Reforms, and How They Could Be Achieved
    
    The current Argentine macroeconomic situation is characterised by Covid-19 recession, inflation, record tax pressure, a reduction
    
    OECD: Business as Usual? Forget About That, and Prepare for Novel and Impactful Variations on a Theme
    
    As we turn our attention towards the imperative of “building forward greener” post-pandemic, there can be
    
    PwC Africa: Africa’s Finance Leaders Take Steps to Ensure the Safety of Workers
    
    As lockdown regulations are eased all over the world, business leaders are recognising that they have
PerspectivesEssays & Columns
- - Multilaterals
    
    World Bank on COVID-19: The Road Back Must Be Green, Resilient, and Inclusive
    
    By Axel van Trotsenburg World Bank Managing Director of Operations COVID-19 has imposed a deeper, more
    
    Geoffrey Okamoto, First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF: Knightmare Uncertainty
    
    The American economist Frank Knight theorised about the difference between risk and uncertainty in his classic
    
    World Bank’s Vice President for Infrastructure: Now is the Time to Rethink Transport and Logistics
    
    Covid-19 has had a huge impact on transport. The response to the pandemic, from social distancing
  - Columnists
    
    Economic Forecast for US and the Developed World: Debt Anchor to Keep Interest Rates, Growth and Inflation Low
    
    Debt — both public and commercial — is exploding in the US, and internationally. Interest rates
    
    Lord Waverley: Quest for Balance and Unity Hampered by Blurred Lines and Differing Standards
    
    There is an increasing recognition of the need to reassess the intersection of global co-operation and
    
    Lord Waverley on WTO: Inclusive and Sustainable Trade Reforms are Vital for Shared Benefits
    
    The previous US administration, the politicisation of trade and a looming economic crisis due to the
  - Lifestyle
    
    All the World is But a Console, and Gaming Sector is Thriving
    
    The at-home entertainment industry has thrived as enforced isolation and diminished human contact have drawn more
    
    La Maison Guerlain: Its Sweet History Sure Smells of Success
    
    The House of Guerlain story begins in 1828, when Pierre-François Guerlain opens his first boutique on
    
    How the Super-rich Will Be Spending Their Money as Wealth Trends Fluctuate
    
    As part of its upcoming 2020 Global Wealth Migration Review, New World Wealth examines the potential
PeopleHeroes & Leaders
- - Heroes
    
    Clarisse Merlet: Building a Better Future, One FabBRICK at a Time
    
    The fashion industry is known for glitz and glamour — but it’s one of the biggest
    
    Balsam Al-Ayoub: Cut and Thrust for Multi-talented Philanthropist
    
    Balsam Al-Ayoub has been fighting for Kuwait — and gender equality — since she was a
    
    Anna Radulovski: ‘Mompreneur’ Shares Struggles and Wins: is This the Next Unicorn in the Making…?
    
    Anna Radulovski doesn’t just want to make money — she wants to make impacts. Born and
  - Editor’s Ten
    
    Mahendra Singh Dhoni: Captain Cool Meets his Younger Self to Pass on Business Tips
    
    Mahendra Singh “MS” Dhoni, one of India’s most celebrated cricket players, has earned the nickname “Captain
    
    Dissident’s Daughter, Crusader for Health and Women’s Rights: Sheikha Moza bint Nasser al-Missned
    
    When Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, mother of current Emir of Qatar, inaugurated WISH 2020 (World Summit
    
    Cristina Junqueira, Nubank Co-Founder: Brazil’s Wonder Woman of Fintech
    
    When the first Nubank card transaction was made in Brazil on April 1, 2014, you wouldn’t
  - Corporate Leaders
    
    Pavilion Global Markets: Global Recognition in Two Niche Services, Transition Management and Global Portfolio Strategy
    
    Pavilion Global Markets Ltd was founded in Canada more than 50 years ago as an institutional,
    
    A New Era for Kuwait International Bank: Architecting the Future of Technology-based Banking
    
    Digital renaissance in the global banking sector was well underway prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In
    
    Multiply Marketing Consultancy with Samia Bouazza at the Helm: Always Prepared, Armed with the Latest Tech, Determined to Be the Best
    
    “Abu Dhabi residents. International specialists. Critical thinkers. Problem solvers. Marketing connoisseurs. Trained to get straight to
  - Portraits
    
    Interview with Grete Faremo, Executive Director of UNOPS: Inclusive Infrastructure Development
    
    In pre-pandemic Oct 2019 (about 20 months ago) you wrote an article for CFI.co magazine that
    
    Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill: ‘Cheap Childcare’ Led to Winning Athletics Career, Jokes Ennis-Hill
    
    Britain’s most celebrated track and field athlete, Jessica Ennis-Hill, announced her retirement from professional sports at
    
    PwC Nigeria: Nigeria’s Finance Act Gets a Facelift to Attract Business and Investment
    
    Earlier this year, Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari signed the Finance Bill 2019 into law as the
LiteratureBook Reviews
- - Reviews
    
    Book Review – Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras – The X factor: What Makes Some Businesses Excel…?
    
    Visionary companies need a strong ideology and big, hairy audacious goals. Naomi Snelling looks back at
    
    Book Review: Numerology, Mystery, Romance… and the Development of an App
    
    7 Unicorn Drive: From Start-up To A Billion Dollar Sale In 7 Years by Dani Polajnar
    
    Book Review: The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger – Iger’s Wild Ride to the Top of ‘the Happiest Place on Earth’
    
    Back in 2005, Robert Iger’s 31-year journey at Disney and ABC looked like it could come
  - Must-Reads
    
    Political Order and Political Decay: From the Industrial Revolution to the Globalization of Democracy
    
    “When the middle class constitutes only 20–30 percent of the population, it may side with antidemocratic
    
    Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945
    
    CFI Must-Reads Title Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 Author Tony Judt ISBN 978-0-1430-3775-0 link
    
    Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values
    
    “The real purpose of the scientific method is to make sure nature hasn’t misled you into
  - The Editor’s List
    
    The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby
    
    “He sounded like Jean-François Revel, a French socialist writer who talks about one of the great
    
    The Gonzo Papers Anthology
    
    “Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism.” For
    
    The Grapes of Wrath
    
    “Man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks
In-DepthExtended Coverage
- - Hidden Gems
    
    Uzbekistan’s Dynamism Presents New Opportunities for Post-Brexit Britain
    
    Though 5,000 km apart, the UK, an economic leader in the world, and my emerging but
    
    Chile Minister of Economy, Development, and Tourism José Ramón Valente: Escaping the Middle-Income Trap
    
    Early in November, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) paid homage to Chile’s economic resilience and progress.
    
    President Armen Sarkissian: Quantum Politics Defined, Explained, and Considered
    
    Armenia is ready for its time in the spotlight. The landlocked country experienced a watershed moment
  - Business in Times of Corona
    
    Where are We Going? Nowhere, Fast, According to Travel and Tourism Stats
    
    Whether domestic or international, business or pleasure, travel is an integral part of modern life —
    
    Shock and Ore — India’s Love of Gold Goes Beyond Market Prices
    
    Gold is considered the most valuable of all the precious metals — especially in Indian culture.
    
    Glued to the Box, or Linked to a Laptop? Streaming is Up-ending Entertainment
    
    Digital consumer habits are reshaping the entertainment industry. A recent report by consulting firm Deloitte found
  - World Economic Forum
    
    Davos: Seizing the Moment – Or Not
    
    The man himself was unable to attend the proceedings in Davos – he has other commitments,
    
    WEF: Back to the Basics?
    
    Concerned over widening geopolitical fissures, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has embarked on a quest to
    
    Davos: Till We Meet Again – Bankers Packing Up
    
    Dutch Finance Minister and President of the Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem is worried that the increased insularity
  - Special Features
    
    António Guterres: SDG Champion
    
    “The global coronavirus pandemic, which has already caused unimaginable devastation and hardship, has brought our way
    
    Q&A with IBM’s Bashar Kilani: Need for New Skills Emerging as We Re-Imagine and Transition to the New Normal
    
    Bashar Kilani oversees IBM business in the Gulf countries and the Levant, working with clients and
    
    Smart City Prince: A Prince with a Mission, a Vision
    
    For anyone familiar with the dashing Crown Prince of Dubai, it would have come as no
AwardsExcellence
- - Awards
    
    UAE is Recognised by CFI.co as Best FDI Destination in the Middle East
    
    Following presentation of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Awards for FDI-agencies at a Gala Dinner at
    
    British Airways: Best Premium Travel Experience Global
    
    Unveiling a major investment drive to upgrade its long-haul business and premium economy class services, British
    
    UBS: Best Green Bank Switzerland
    
    An increasing number of businesses, including banks, are adapting their corporate structures and processes to incorporate
  - Africa
    
    Schlumberger Nigeria: Best Sustainability Award
    
    In over forty countries, oilfield services company Schlumberger is actively engaged in promoting science, technology, engineering,
    
    The CFI.co Award for Best HSE Standards, West Africa, goes to Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc
    
    Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc traces its proud history back to 1907. This top petroleum products marketing
    
    Old Mutual: Best Community Engagement Programme, South Africa
    
    Responsibility is at the heart of Old Mutual’s success over the past 165 years and the
  - Asia Pacific
    
    Best Commercial Bank, China: CFI.co names China Merchants
    
    China Merchants Bank, headquartered in Shenzen and boasting 500 branches, is the CFI.co 2014 winner of
    
    Colombo Stock Exchange: Most Sustainable Growth Exchange Asia
    
    With investor confidence solid and a booming economy, the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) is in a
    
    A Touch of Class: Century Properties Group Wins Real Estate Award in the Philippines
    
    With a passion for quality in both service and product plus an uncannily keen sense for
  - Europe
    
    Julius Bär Group: Best Private Bank Switzerland
    
    Managing the assets of private clients across the globe, Julius Bär Group maintains offices in over
    
    UBS: Best Green Bank Switzerland
    
    Picture a world in which large power plants spewing noxious fumes into the atmosphere have been
    
    Nordea Asset Management: ESG Award Winner in Europe
    
    According to the CFI.co Judging Panel, ‘Nordea well understands the benefits that accrue to investors when
  - Latin America
    
    BCI: Our Fund Manager Winner in Chile
    
    The CFI.co Judging Panel rates BCI Investment Management very highly and has announced that the award
    
    Bolsa de Valores de Colombia: Best Stock Exchange, Latin America
    
    The Bolsa de Valores de Colombia (BVC) – a private organisation – was established in 2001
    
    The Odebrecht Foundation Wins CFI Award for Community Engagement, Brazil
    
    The Odebrecht Organisation is a very successful and highly diversified Brazilian group which is active in
  - North America
    
    Mercury Capital Advisors Group Best Fund Raising Team Global
    
    Mercury Capital Advisors Group have perfected flat management within the company, creating a team where everyone takes
    
    Banco Interacciones: Our Winner in Mexico for a Second Year
    
    The CFI Judging Panel would like to congratulate Banco Interacciones on repeating its triumph of last
    
    BNY Mellon: Winner of the CFI.co Wealth Manager Award, US
    
    The CFI.co Judging Panel has named BNY Mellon as winner of the prestigious award, ’Best Wealth
  - Middle East
    
    Saudi Hollandi: Best SME Bank, KSA, for a Second Year
    
    The CFI.co Judging Panel is always delighted when winners repeat their success in subsequent years. It
    
    Bentley Powers Ahead in Customer Satisfaction: CFI.co Award Winner, Middle East
    
    There has been powerful performance at Bentley Motors, Middle East this past year. Dubai is the
    
    UBP Wins the CFI.co Private Banking Award, UAE
    
    Now that many of the global universal banks are returning to their core business and divesting
InitiativesCorporate & Events
- - Events
    
    Governance Champion Al Fozan Leads Private Sector’s Contributions to Saudi Vision 2030 — and a Sustainable Future
    
    A strong governance system has been the pillar of Al Fozan Holding’s consistent growth over the
    
    UAE’s International Human Fraternity Virtual Summit Successfully Concluded
    
    The United Arab Emirates has successfully concluded the International Human Fraternity Virtual Summit (IHFS), an initiative
    
    Sparkling Dubai: Tourism and Business Hub — and the Perfect Events Venue
    
    CFI.co’s Chairman Tor Svensson puts questions to Dawood Al Shezawi, AIM organiser and CEO of Strategic,
  - Projects
    
    Rescue by Helicopter Reserves
    
    The world woke up on Monday 23 with higher international reserves for all countries. A new
    
    Asian Development Bank: Towards a Blue Deal to Restore the World’s Oceans
    
    Investments in recovering and maintaining a functioning marine ecosystem can form the foundation of a sustainable
    
    Q&A with Chairman of Eriell Group and Enter Engineering: Bakhtiyor Fazilov
    
    Please, tell us a little about yourself. How did you reach your current position? As you
  - Start-Ups
    
    Ambareen Musa, Founder & CEO of Souqalmal: From Mauritius with Love for Fintech, and lots of Ambition
    
    Ambareen Musa, founder and CEO of financial aggregator marketplace Souqalmal, sees a glowing future for fintech
    
    Ann Low, US Department of State: Go Green by 2019 – Make Business Registration Easy Everywhere by 2019
    
    The “Go Green by 2019” campaign is designed to promote transparent and user-friendly business registration processes
    
    Stacey Ferreira: The Billion Dollar Pitch
    
    Few people make their first million before they turn twenty, and fewer still can say they
  - Corporate
    
    Energean – E&P Company with a Clear Conscience: Committed to Carbon Emissions Cuts
    
    Energean is a gas-focused independent exploration and production (E&P) company — the first in the world
    
    Kate Ahern: It’s ESG All the Way for Female-led Firm Dedicated to Positive Change
    
    ‘Pick good companies and then help to make them even better’ — the firm’s role, in
    
    Emily Alejos, CIO at Cartica: Leading the Way in ESG Investing in the Emerging Markets
    
    Emily Alejos joined Cartica Management as Co-CIO in April 2018 after a nationwide search for a

Winter 2018-2019

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