As local banks across Asia-Pacific grow in size and scope, they have started to challenge global banks with operations in the region. Rather than being everything to everyone everywhere, focusing on selective competitive advantages is the new winning strategy. Société Générale’s focus on securities, cross-border flows, infrastructure financing and now also debt capital markets, is allowing it not only to survive in Asia-Pacific, but to expand its reach. Throughout 2013, it hired 200 individuals in the region.
Spearheading this development is Hikaru Ogata, Asia-Pacific CEO of Société Générale, who took on the role five years ago. “When I joined in 2010, it was a period when we were trying to figure out what it was we were going to do in Asia-Pacific,” says Mr Ogata.
