Rebuilding customer trust is probably the top priority for bank marketing and communications executives today. Also high on the agenda are exploiting the opportunities presented by social media, dealing with customer complaints and improving customer data management.
The Dutch banking sector has returned to some semblance of normality following the global crisis, with AAA rated Rabobank leading the way and other banks busy rebuilding their reputations. However, fears of a contagion effect from troubled economies in southern Europe, or even a double-dip recession in some of the world's larger economies, are adding caution to any optimism. Writer Michael Imeson
Retail banking in South Africa has emerged relatively unscathed from the global recession. Bankers are now taking advantage of the upturn, the confidence generated by the forthcoming World Cup hosted in the country and the largely untapped potential presented by the under-banked and unbanked population. Writer Michael Imeson
The lap of luxury: Malta's Xara Hotel is expensive but attracts visitors from far and wideAnyone considering doing business in Malta will need to know a few practical things about flights, hotels and so on - and more if they are thinking of living there. Writer Michael Imeson
Professor Joseph Bannister, Malta Financial Services Authority's chairmanWhen a financial institution considers setting up in a new jurisdiction, it wants a regime that is robust, but also fair. For many, the Malta Financial Services Authority ticks all these boxes. Writer Michael Imeson
Malta ranks 13th in the world for financial market sophistication, according to a World Economic Forum survey. It raised its game considerably before it joined the EU in 2004, and now enjoys the presence of many international banks, insurers and fund managers operating within an EU-compliant regulatory regime. Writer Michael Imeson
Since joining the EU six years ago, the Maltese banking sector has flourished and the country has developed a firm yet flexible regulatory regime, supported by the European regulatory environment. In this Masterclass, Professor Joseph Bannister, president of the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), discusses the recent restructuring of the authority and how it aims to further strengthen Malta's status as an international financial centre. Writer Michael Imeson
The payments landscape is changing. Customers are demanding more, so banks are having to decide how to update their payments infrastructures. Competition is becoming fiercer and regulation is getting tougher. Despite this, the rewards can be high. Payments are still the lynchpin between a bank and its customers, and new markets, such as payments for the unbanked and mobile banking, are being explored. These issues and more were discussed in Brussels, Belgium, last month. Writer Michael Imeson