Category: Uncategorised

Ahead of Sibos, Commerzbank has published its newsletter for financial institutions, FI.News. Centred around the theme delivering excellence in a changing banking environment, the biannual newsletter features in-depth articles by and interviews with some of Commerzbank’s leading financial experts.

The new edition features updates on Commerzbank’s latest initiatives for: trade and supply chain finance; securities services; cybersecurity; as well as assessments of the trade landscape across Africa, Asia and central Europe.

Moorgate has produced FI.News since 2013. To read the latest edition, please click here.

In an interview with Law360, Anthony Whitehouse – Natixis’ UK Head of Compliance – discusses the evolution of the compliance function over the past decade, stating that these days, compliance is all about advising senior management on how to improve culture and the organisational structure of their business.

Other topics of discussion included how the bank handles discrepancies in regulations across jurisdictions, how the compliance department interacts with the risk division and how the bank is dealing with the uncertainty around Brexit.

To read the full interview, please click here (paywall).

Natixis has appointed Arié Boleslawski as Global Head of Equities within their Corporate and Investment Banking division. With more than 20 years’ experience in the banking industry, Arié joined the bank in August, and reports to Selim Mehrez – Global Head of Equity Derivatives & Fixed Income.

In his new role, Arié is in charge of Equity Derivatives Trading and will co-supervise Global Secured Funding along with Mehrez, while helping to meet the bank’s global ambitions to expand equity derivatives and structured products related activities.

The news was covered by GlobalCapital (paywall), Risk.net (paywall), IFR, SRP (paywall), Risk.net

Speaking to The Banker, Orith Azoulay – Natixis’ Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) Green and Sustainable Finance – notes that access to green projects in emerging markets happens through banks, which have a crucial role to play in emerging market green bonds.

However, “the mass of green bond investors remains Western, it is very European. The investor who really wants to go green does not really invest in emerging markets”, explains Azoulay.

To read the full article, please click here.

Speaking to Global Capital, Eric Arnould – Natixis’ Global Head of Equity Capital Markets – comments on the revival of French IPOs, exemplified by the forthcoming transactions from Française de Jeux (FDJ) and glass packaging company Verallia.

Arnould notes that ‘for the first time in years, France is expected to lead the pack in terms of IPOs’, as French equities are seen by investors as a safer bet than other European jurisdictions, which are hamstrung by political instability.

To read the full article, please click here.

Chris Southworth – Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce – contributes the Foreword for Trade Finance Global and East & Partners’ Whitepaper: State of the Global Supply Chain Finance Market, UK and China trade corridors.

Chris notes that we are at a critical moment in the history of trade, and this whitepaper contributes towards a new and positive potential chapter, as we transition towards a more inclusive system that works for everyone.

To read the full whitepaper, please click here.

In a guest commentary for Bӧrsen-Zeitung, Hansjӧrg Patzschke – Chairman of Natixis Pfandbriefbank AG (NPB) – discusses the evolution of the Pfandbriefbank and its constructive and successful working relationship with the parent company, in terms of fast action and reliable financing solutions.

In the past five years the start-up of NPB has developed a good position in the German market by offering clients new solutions combined with security and stability in financing.

To read the full article, please click here.

ICC Incoterms were launched in 1936 to set out the responsibilities of buyers and sellers worldwide for the delivery of goods under sales contracts, and are an essential tool to maintaining order within the global trading system.

For UK companies, the updates to the ICC Incoterms rules this year could not come at a worse time, so it’s important that the introduction is made as easy as possible, so that companies can trade with one another safe in the knowledge they are following international best practice.

The news was covered by Trade Finance Global and TXF.

Optimising working capital is a complex undertaking, yet finding the right solution hinges on answering two simple questions, says Adeline de Metz, Editorial Board Member of TRF News and Global Co-Head of Trade and Working Capital at UniCredit.

1. What is the company’s financial situation?
   The first port of call for an effective working capital management programme is to consider the unique financial situation of the corporate – including its size, credit rating and access to liquidity.

2. What are the company’s working capital objectives?
   Equally important are the reasons why the corporate is looking for a working capital solution – what challenges need to be addressed and what objectives is the company looking to meet?

   Once these questions have been answered, a number of working capital techniques can be pulled together to generate a holistic and comprehensive solution.

   To read this TRFnews piece in full, click here.

International arbitration expert John Beechey has stepped down from his role of chair of the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) arbitration programme. He hands over the reins to Ania Farren, managing director of Vannin Capital.

With more than 15 years of experience in international arbitration – with particular experience in energy disputes – Ania will take on the position of chair as the first woman in the role.

This news was covered by New Law Journal and Litigation Finance Journal