By Anita Hawser
BEST BANK FOR RISK MANAGEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
As a principal bank for large corporates in the US, Bank of America Merrill Lynch tries to take a holistic rather than product-focused approach to clients’ working capital needs. Significant investments in its CashPro Online suite of solutions also provides companies with higher levels of visibility into their global cash balances across multiple banking providers and greater business intelligence and reporting tools, so treasurers and CFOs can make more-informed decisions regarding their cash.
WESTERN EUROPE
Deutsche Bank
By more closely integrating its corporate and investment banking activities, which resulted in the creation of its platform called Capital Markets and Treasury Solutions, Deutsche Bank can better optimize opportunities for customers, it says. It is able to provide clients with a comprehensive suite of solutions across payables, collections and receivables to help them gain greater visibility over their cash and liquidity. Deutsche Bank also enhanced its internal risk management processes to ensure that it exercises greater control over the quality of its balance sheet.
ASIA
Citi
Regulations and operating requirements across the Asia-Pacific region vary dramatically from country to country. Citi, however, has the knowledge and expertise across a wide range of countries to help minimize the risk of doing business in the region. As one of the most technologically advanced providers of treasury and cash management services, clients can access a wide range of solutions that give them greater control and visibility over their regional and global cash and liquidity. Its online receivables platform provides sophisticated business intelligence tools to help companies better manage and aggregate their receivables data.
LATIN AMERICA
Citi
Whether it is solutions for depositing checks electronically or platforms that provide clients with real-time visibility of all their banking operations, Citi regales investors with a wealth of information, which they can use to better manage their cash. With an extensive footprint across Latin American, it also has the on-the-ground knowledge and operational expertise to help companies navigate the different regulatory requirements and market practices. It has helped clients in the region “eliminate operational and FX risk and remove redundant processes.”
NORDIC REGION
Nordea
Nordea has impressive market penetration and knowledge of the Nordic markets, which makes it well placed to advise financial institution and corporate clients on how to minimize the risks of doing business in the region. It is a well-capitalized bank with its core Tier 1 capital ratio (using Basel II/III evaluations) standing at 11% at the end of the third quarter 2011, well above the 9% threshold set by the European Banking Authority. At a time when a number of other banks are being downgraded because of perceived risks to their financing and business models, Nordea’s funding and liquidity profile stands out.
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
RZB/Raiffeisen International
As a Central and Eastern European “pure play,” Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) is well placed to advise clients on the various risks they may encounter doing business across the region. Despite the bank’s requiring additional capital in order to comply with the European Banking Authority’s 9% threshold for core Tier 1 capital, RBI does not presage a reduction in business activities. The bank has a broad franchise across markets in Central and Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
AFRICA
Citi
Citi services a wide spectrum of clients in Africa including multinationals, local companies, public sector entities, and bank and nonbank financial institution clients. In line with the emergence of African companies onto the regional and global stage, Citi’s investment in the latest technologies means it is well placed to help them minimize inefficient manual processes to move to a highly automated environment where they can realize greater cost savings and efficiencies. Some of the solutions it has implemented for clients in the region have helped them minimize FX risk, more quickly and securely collect money and aggregate account information.
MIDDLE EAST
Citi
Citi has a strong track record in the region spanning 50 years and multiple markets and currencies. Helping companies identify problems faster and delivering greater levels of transparency around cash, liquidity and transactions forms a substantial part of what it does to help customers. It is able to readily adapt its wide range of treasury and cash management solutions to suit the different needs and requirements of customers in each market.
Treasury & Cash Management Awards 2012
