Banking on the Future of Asia and the Pacific


Book Description

This book is a history of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), a multilateral development bank established 50 years ago to serve Asia and the Pacific. Focusing on the region’s economic development, the evolution of the international development agenda, and the story of ADB itself, this book raises several key questions: What are the outstanding features of regional development to which ADB had to respond? How has the bank grown and evolved in changing circumstances? How did ADB’s successive leaders promote reforms while preserving continuity with the efforts of their predecessors? ADB has played an important role in the transformation of Asia and the Pacific the past 50 years. As ADB continues to evolve and adapt to the region’s changing development landscape, the experiences highlighted in this book can provide valuable insight on how best to serve Asia and the Pacific in the future.




Asia's Banking CEOs


Book Description

Peter Hoflich has written a book which gives a truly informative perspective of banking in Asia. Not only has he profi led a wide range of CEOs of varying background, nationality and ambition, but he has also given valuable insights into the banking infrastructure itself in many countries. Whether it is the astonishing growth story of HDFC under Aditya Puri, the bureaucrat turned banker focus of Guo Shuqing of CCB, the regulatory pressures under which Syed Ali Raza works at National Bank of Pakistan, the new frontier potential of internet-only banks such as Matsuo Taiichi’s eBank and Ishii Shigeru’s Sony Bank and more—there is something here for every observer of Asian banking. –Andrew Long Group General Manager & Head of Global Transaction Banking, HSBC If you want to get a good insight into the strategies and thinking that drive bankers in Asia, this is the book for you. It is not very often that you get a chance to know the personal philosophies of bank executives, but also something about their backgrounds and histories. This book gives great insights into where some of the most important banks in Asia are headed and what challenges they face. The scope is very broad, featuring banks and bank executives in Japan, China, Korea, India, Pakistan, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Not only are the largest banks covered but also the smaller ones, and one of the more interesting sections is about the executives that run the internet banks. A fascinating and well-written book. –Mark Mobius President, Templeton Emerging Markets This is an always interesting and often intriguing look behind the scenes at some of the Asian financial institutions that are helping to shape our future and the bankers who run them. Peter Hoflich has a provocatively edgy style that makes for a quick read. –Craig Weeks Managing Director, Global Trade Services, JPMorgan Whether you lived through the Asian financial crisis, are new to the region, or are a veteran global banker, this book is enlightening. Peter Hoflich captures the essence of some of the great leaders in Asian banking, their institutions and environments. He reveals how they formed or transformed institutions at lightning speed during the past decade resulting in some of the largest global banks and some of the most nimble. The personalities shine through with descriptions such as “a salty northerner” and “the grizzled demeanor of a chain smoker.” Most have passion and vision plus strong disciplines to liberate hidden potential both for their countries and for the global banking industry. An inspiring read. –Karen Fawcett Group Head of Transaction Banking, Standard Chartered Bank One of the best business books I have read in many years. It accurately describes our recent history in banking, especially in the fast-moving consumer banking world. It is also a book about strategy, management and innovation. But, more difficult, it is a unique gallery of portraits of leaders who made Asian fi nancial services what it is today, with managers who taught us many lessons and whose clarity of analysis, efficiency in action and contributions to the industry and society will continue to influence all of us and help us build the future of banking in our region. This book is a must. Reading it, you will discover banking in Asia. Studying it, you will understand its development. Reflecting on it, you will be able to learn even more about yourself, about your opportunities, and your own way to demonstrate your leadership. –Philippe Paillart Managing Partner, Sin Rong Investment and Advisory Group




The Future of Asian Finance


Book Description

Asia’s financial systems proved resilient to the shocks from the global financial crisis, and growth since then has been strong. But new challenges have emerged in the region’s economies, including demographics and aging, the need to diversify from bank-dominated systems, urbanization and infrastructure, and the rebalancing of economic activity. This book takes stock of the challenges facing the region today and how economic systems in Asia’s advanced and emerging market economies compare with the rest of the world.







Finance in Asia


Book Description

Asia's demand for second-generation financial institutions and markets needs to be met in order for the region's further development to be sustained. This book provides a compelling, fact-based assessment of current practices and regulations in Asia's financial institutions and markets and carefully documents the exciting opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the region's financial systems. This book differs in design from typical treatments of financial institutions and markets because its focus is on Asia rather than using the US model (in terms of market configurations or products) as a benchmark, and its takes a contemporary and forward-looking view of financial markets. Examples of practice from Asia are used to illustrate major accepted themes in finance and financial regulation. To the extent that Asia's main economies share characteristics that are distinct, for example, in the relationship between government and the banking sector, or in aspects of corporate governance, the book will discuss the consequences for market operation and intermediation. The book's carefully structured facts and rigorously argued analysis carry important implications both for students in business and law and for professionals new to financial markets in Asia. It will change the way that Asian financial markets and institutions is taught in universities as well as provide a valuable resource for professionals working in finance in Asia.




Infrastructure Financing In Asia


Book Description

First, the book documents the evolution of Asia's infrastructure over the past half-century and reviews existing literature on the role of infrastructure investment in supporting growth and social development. It highlights the positive impact of mass transit investments on land and property values, and the possibility of taxing the increase in values to finance these investments. It then examines Asia's current practices and new solutions that can help meet the infrastructure gap. It discusses the role of institutions, how innovation can foster energy infrastructure investments, and the role of bond markets in infrastructure investments. The book explores ASEAN+3 efforts in developing local currency bond markets to provide long-term local financing for infrastructure investment while providing financial resilience. It also examines the use of green bonds to finance sustainable growth in Asia.




Financial Sector Crisis and Restructuring


Book Description

An IMF paper reviewing the policy responses of Indonesia, Korea and Thailand to the 1997 Asian crisis, comparing the actions of these three countries with those of Malaysia and the Philippines. Although all judgements are still tentative, important lessons can be learned from the experiences of the last two years.




Futures Thinking in Asia and the Pacific


Book Description

Futures thinking and foresight is a powerful planning approach that can help Asia and the Pacific countries meet economic, political, social, and environmental and climate change challenges. This publication shows how the Asian Development Bank (ADB) piloted this approach to understand entry points to support transformational change in the region. It compiles lessons from an ADB initiative to apply futures and foresight tools in Armenia, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, the People's Republic of China, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste. Futures terminology is introduced as are specific tools such as emerging issues analysis, scenario planning, and backcasting. It also describes how futures and foresight tools were applied in the countries.




The Asian Financial Crisis


Book Description

The turmoil that has rocked Asian markets since the middle of 1997, and that is now having such deep effects on the economies in the region, is the third major currency crisis of the 1990s. This study explains how the Asian crisis arose and spread. It then outlines the corrective policy measures that could help end the crisis, and the shortcomings that have been revealed in the international financial system that require reform to reduce the chances of a recurrence.




The Jesuits


Book Description

The most comprehensive and up-to-date exploration of one of the most important religious orders in the modern world Since its founding by Ignatius of Loyola in 1540, the Society of Jesus—more commonly known as the Jesuits—has played a critical role in the events of modern history. From the Counter-Reformation to the ascent of Francis I as the first Jesuit pope, The Jesuits presents an intimate look at one of the most important religious orders not only in the Catholic Church, but also the world. Markus Friedrich describes an organization that has deftly walked a tightrope between sacred and secular involvement and experienced difficulties during changing times, all while shaping cultural developments from pastoral care and spirituality to art, education, and science. Examining the Jesuits in the context of social, cultural, and world history, Friedrich sheds light on how the order shaped the culture of the Counter-Reformation and participated in the establishment of European empires, including missionary activity throughout Asia and in many parts of Africa in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. He also explores the place of Jesuits in the New World and addresses the issue of Jesuit slaveholders. The Jesuits often tangled with the Roman Curia and the pope, resulting in their suppression in 1773, but the order returned in 1814 to rise again to a powerful position of influence. Friedrich demonstrates that the Jesuit fathers were not a monolithic group and he considers the distinctive spiritual legacy inherited by Pope Francis. With its global scope and meticulous attention to archival sources and previous scholarship, The Jesuits illustrates the heterogeneous, varied, and contradictory perspectives of this famed religious organization.