Now that the momentum of global growth is firmly set in the Asia-Pacific region as Western markets continue to stutter, it is the banks that established pioneering operations in Asian markets that are best placed to service this growth and profit from it.
A case in point is Citi, which set up shop in Asia back in 1902. If the first wave of global growth involved the General Electrics, Microsofts and Apples of the world exploring Asian markets, today, it is the Samsungs and Tatas of Asia, which Citi served when they were only $1bn companies, that are scoping markets worldwide. “The question is who will be the Samsung or the Tata of tomorrow?” says Stephen Bird, Citi Asia-Pacific chief executive.
