Ian Johnston, chief executive of Swift in the Asia-Pacific region
The chief executive of Swift in the Asia-Pacific region talks to The Banker about the impact of the financial crisis on business, the co-operative's strategy in Asia and how the company is changing to meet the needs of an ever-more diverse client base. Writer Charlie Corbett
Left to right: Kapil Damani, Mark Gibson, Joshua Luks and Rishi Naik
Despite the bottom falling out of the catastrophe bond market in 2008, the team at BNP Paribas devised a novel way for reinsurer Hannover Re to re-enter the market, with impressive results. Writer Edward Russell-Walling
The Bracken column is named after Brendan Bracken, the founding editor of The Banker in 1926 and chairman of the modern-day Financial Times from 1945 to 1958.
For the past 20 or so years, the global financial community has tried to craft a common minimum regulatory capital standard for banks. The result has been a complicated framework that is not enforced consistently, is constantly under revision, and failed to contain contagion during the 2008 market meltdown. The time is right to consider whether this path continues to make sense.
Paul Volcker, former chairman of the US Federal Reserve and chairman the US's economic recovery advisory board
The order in which the world will emerge, post-recession, may still be unclear, writes Paul Volker, but a long slog can be expected. However, when the dust settles, there will still be few competitors to challenge the US dollar as the world's predominant currency.
Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyana's president
Guyana's president laments the lack of consideration for smaller countries among the G-20 nations, and calls for a change in the relationship between international financial institutions and countries such as his. Writer Brian Caplen
Ralph Gonsalves, St Vincent and Grenadines prime minister
The currency union of the Organisation of East Caribbean States is eyeing additional members and full economic union status. The prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines ponders the future of the OECS and its impact on the wider Caricom group of countries. Writer Brian Caplen
Rupiah Banda, the new president of Zambia talks about his vision for transforming the southern African state's economy in the light of a severe economic downturn. Writer Charlie Corbett in Cape Town
The inadequacies of the clearing system were exposed by the credit crisis - it may be time for an overhaul. By Chris Skinner
