The Danish banking sector is adapting to new requirements that mean it must hold more capital and conform to yet more rules. While few in the industry doubt that the system must be more robust, concerns are increasingly being voiced that the country’s banks are having to adjust to more stringent regulations than their EU counterparts, and at a faster pace. 

The new CEO of Akbank, Hakan Binbaşgil, explains to Brian Caplen how the past decade has seen the bank transformed by its embracing of new technology, pioneering new channels, targeting Turkey's youthful population, and keeping the customer central to everything it does.

Indonesia’s finance minister Agus Martowardojo was The Banker’s Finance Minister of the Year 2012, global and Asia-Pacific. He explains the economic polices behind the country's impressive growth.

Indonesia’s finance minister Agus Martowardojo was The Banker’s Finance Minister of the Year 2012, global and Asia-Pacific. He explains the economic polices behind the country's impressive growth.

HSBC has not suffered in the global financial crisis as badly as many of its UK counterparts, and it is already well established in the high-growth emerging markets likely to dominate world trade in the coming decades. However, the bank's new chief executive still believes it could be offering better value to HSBC investors.

Russian central bank governor Sergei Ignatiev's decision not to intervene when the country's currency came under pressure earlier this year has been welcomed by economists as a sign that the country's commitment to a more open economy is genuine. The governor explains to The Banker that such a policy is part of his long-term plan for the country.

The UK government is expected to announce this month that it will implement in full the far-reaching reforms proposed by the Independent Commission on Banking. What will this mean for the UK banking sector?