Home

Content about banking

March 5, 2012
Sustainability: Green business

Zhike Lei, assistant professor at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin, explains why corporate tree-hugging is no longer enough in the battle to tackle the sustainability challenge.

Zhike Lei, assistant professor at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin, explains why corporate tree-hugging is no longer enough in the battle to tackle the sustainability challenge.

February 16, 2012
Estrella Gold

Estrella Gold is a prospect generator company, focused on gold in Latin America and growing its inventory of gold resource ounces. CEO Keith Laskowski tells John O’Hanlon why he placed his 30 years’ experience in gold exploration at the service of a junior company.

Estrella Gold is a prospect generator company, focused on gold in Latin America and growing its inventory of gold resource ounces. CEO Keith Laskowski tells John O’Hanlon why he placed his 30 years’ experience in gold exploration at the service of a junior company.

November 17, 2011
Where the jobs are: Phoenix and Salt Lake City

A comparison of job opportunities and economic growth in two US cities.

Salt Lake City, Utah is a better bet for job hunters than Phoenix, Arizona, according to Going Global’s new reports Where the Jobs Are: Phoenix and Salt Lake City. While Salt Lake City has been fairly insulated from the global economic downturn, Phoenix, which was heavily reliant on the construction industry, has seen its unemployment rate more than double since the recession began.

October 24, 2011
Virgin Money could clinch Northern Rock deal

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Money is said to be close to purchasing the nationalised UK lender Northern Rock.

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Money is said to be close to purchasing the nationalised UK lender Northern Rock.

According to a report in the Sunday Times, Virgin is said to be front runner ahead of banking venture NBNK, which is headed up by Lord Levene and former Northern Rock CEO Gary Hoffman.

Final bids are due this week for the Newcastle-based bank, which UK taxpayers propped up with £1.4 billion following its collapse in 2007.

August 1, 2011
HSBC to sell off US branches

UK-based banking and financial services group HSBC has announced the sale of 195 of its retail branches in the US.

UK-based banking and financial services group HSBC has announced the sale of 195 of its retail branches in the US.

The branches, primarily in Upstate New York, are to be sold to First Niagara Bank for approximately $1 billion (approx. £608 million).

As of 31 May 2011, the branches held approximately $15 billion in deposits, $15 billion in gross assets including $2.8 billion in loans and $4.3 billion in assets under management.

June 28, 2011
Nordic Mines

Nordic Mines has already sold some of the gold from its mine in Finland: Laiva will make Nordic one of Europe’s leading gold producers—and the timing couldn’t be better.

Nordic Mines has already sold some of the gold from its mine in Finland: Laiva will make Nordic one of Europe’s leading gold producers—and the timing couldn’t be better.

 

May 23, 2011
Gulf Petrochem

With offices in the UAE, India and Singapore, and an office and oil storage terminal planned for Asia-Pacific, Gulf Petrochem is showing no signs of resting on its laurels.

With offices in the UAE, India and Singapore, and an office and oil storage terminal planned for Asia-Pacific, Gulf Petrochem is showing no signs of resting on its laurels, as Jeff Daniel discovers.

 

April 23, 2011
Asia employment outlook

The new Asia Employment Report from Going Global shows China and India are the best places for job seekers in many industry sectors, including engineering, manufacturing and healthcare.

In today’s global recession, China and India are among the best places for job hunters to seek employment, according to the new Asia Employment Report from Going Global, the leading provider of country-specific employment information. China and India, two of the world’s fastest growing economies, welcome expats and returning nationals with millions of jobs across all employment segments.

April 21, 2011
Operations: Communication

Marlon Bowser, CEO of HTK, looks at how companies can get the most out of the increasing number of customer communication channels.

Marlon Bowser, CEO of HTK, looks at how companies can get the most out of the increasing number of customer communication channels.

 

Few would argue that over the last decade there has been a communications revolution. The explosive growth in web use, email and the whole range of mobile communications has given businesses the potential to dramatically improve the way they interact with their customers and increase satisfaction and brand loyalty.

March 17, 2011
Strategy: China

Getting ready for future competition from companies in China and other emerging markets is not an optional activity.

Getting ready for future competition from companies in China and other emerging markets is not an optional activity, say George F. Brown, Jr. and David G. Hartman. The day is coming when such organizations will change your business landscape.

 

March 16, 2011
MIDEX AIRLINES

Experienced staff, an outstanding delivery record and commitment to customer service add up to an excellent business model.

MIDEX AIRLINES has grown rapidly to become the largest charter airline in the Middle East and Europe. Dr Issam Khairallah tells Ruari McCallion how it was done.

 

The year 2007 may have begun by looking like a good time to start an airline; but the emergence of the banking crisis and the global downturn in trade may have caused some air entrepreneurs to think that it could have been a better idea to have sat on their hands. But not Dr. Issam Khairallah, president of MIDEX AIRLINES.

March 6, 2011
Sustainability: Top 100 companies

Martin Ashcroft reports on a study of the world’s top 100 sustainable companies, which ranks their performance in terms of how they manage environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

Martin Ashcroft reports on a study of the world’s top 100 sustainable companies, which ranks their performance in terms of how they manage environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

 

When I first wrote about sustainability as a business concept (not that long ago, either) I used my opening paragraphs to define the term and its relevance to the bottom line. So much has been said on the subject in the intervening years, however, that we all know what it means now.

January 31, 2011
Goba (Pty) Limited

2010 was South Africa’s year of pride: it was never going to be easy to get back to business as usual following the World Cup but building world class infrastructure is still a work in progress for Goba, the country’s leading consulting engineering firm.

2010 was South Africa’s year of pride: it was never going to be easy to get back to business as usual following the World Cup but building world class infrastructure is still a work in progress for Goba, the country’s leading consulting engineering firm.

 

 

 

 

January 4, 2011
Moral will and skill

All organizations need employees who manifest what Aristotle called moral will and moral skill: the ability to do a great job in a way that respects individuals and society.

Do you have a job description? I probably did, once, somewhere. I don’t remember what it said but I feel pretty sure it neither described what I did nor gave me any help prioritizing all the demands on my time. In most organizations that I work with, job descriptions serve a negative purpose: they exist to help managers fire under-performers or to arbitrate in territorial disputes.

September 9, 2010
Virgin Money brings new jobs to Scotland

Virgin Money has created 200 jobs in Edinburgh as part of its strategy to firm up its foothold in the UK banking sector.

Virgin Money has created 200 jobs in Edinburgh as part of its strategy to firm up its foothold in the UK banking sector.

The financial arm of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is giving a much-needed boost to the Scottish capital, which has suffered from large-scale job cuts.

Virgin Money said the new jobs would bring its total workforce to 500.

The group is now looking for city-centre premises for a new operations office, with staff recruitment expected to begin early next year, ahead of the spring launch date set for Virgin Bank.

August 5, 2010
Toyota South Africa

Toyota is investing considerable resources in developing its South African supply chain. VP of Purchasing and Engineering Nigel Ward explains to Gay Sutton the value of collaborative supplier relations and Toyota’s philosophy of respect for people and mutual trust.

Toyota is investing considerable resources in developing its South African supply chain. VP of purchasing and engineering Nigel Ward explains to Gay Sutton the value of collaborative supplier relations and Toyota’s philosophy of respect for people and mutual trust.

July 9, 2010
HSBC mulling Nedbank bid

HSBC is considering making a bid for South Africa’s Nedbank, majority owned by the insurance group Old Mutual, it has been reported.

HSBC is considering making a bid for South Africa’s Nedbank, majority owned by the insurance group Old Mutual, it has been reported.

According to a report by Sky News, HSBC has appointed investment bank Lazard to advise on a possible takeover.

May 1, 2010
Toyota South Africa

Toyota is investing considerable resources in developing its South African supply chain. VP of Purchasing and Engineering Nigel Ward explains to Gay Sutton the value of collaborative supplier relations and Toyota’s philosophy of respect for people and mutual trust.

Toyota is investing considerable resources in developing its South African supply chain. VP of Purchasing and Engineering Nigel Ward explains to Gay Sutton the value of collaborative supplier relations and Toyota’s philosophy of respect for people and mutual trust.

 

 

 

 

 

October 1, 2009
Gold Fields

Sustainable gold
Environmental and social commitment has been a way of life for gold mining company Gold Fields for many years. Philip Woodhouse explains to Gay Sutton how the company has been formalising its sustainable development strategy and how it’s being embedded throughout the company and the supply chain.
Gold is one of those materials that manages to touch us all. At one end of the spectrum, it has played a fundamental role in the foundation of global banking and finance; at the other, it is the basis for many of the most beautiful and decorative forms of art.