New Zealand may have fared relatively well during the global financial crisis, but the difficult economic climate, combined with specific market failures, has served to raise some serious questions among policy-makers, banks and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand itself.

Asia has been a bastion of growth during the global financial crisis, but there are a number of key issues that must be addressed if the region is to continue being a major contributor to global economic growth.

With an emphasis on customer-centric services and products, Indonesia’s microfinance sector is proving to be extremely lucrative, not only for the banks involved, but also for the country’s large population and growing economy.

While The Banker's Top 1000 World Banks ranking published every July gives an insightful and unique snapshot of the state of the global banking market, our ranking of those banks featuring just below the ranking gives an excellent indication of the way in which the market is heading, and which countries and regions are on the rise.

After leading Morgan Stanley’s equities business outside the Americas, John Hyman is working to position Renaissance Capital as a focused player in a number of very different markets across emerging Europe and Africa.

Devastating floods and political instability saw Thailand's economy grind to a halt in late 2011. However, the country's banks have emerged relatively unscathed, and with its economy now growing at a good pace, the country is looking forward to experiencing good times similar to those that its south-east Asian neighbours have enjoyed.

The growth of China's economy is slowing, and with it the profit margins of its leading banks. However, with an increasing focus on SME lending, opportunities opening up in wealth management and the capital markets, and the renminbi edging ever nearer to achieving international reserve currency status, the mood among the country's bankers is still one of optimism, albeit of the more cautious variety.

While the Chinese economy shows signs of slowing, growth in the western provinces is continuing unabated, making it a particularly attractive destination for financial institutions. A number of major cities are competing for this inward capital, but in the race to become western China's financial hub, the city of Chengdu has taken a clear lead.