Jonathan Gregson

Telecoms and local start-ups are bringing digital banking to underserved areas of the continent, often in partnership with traditional banks. But working together isn’t always easy.  

The regional economy is expanding, but a global slowdown and a continuing infrastructure deficit stand in the way of faster growth. 

A European regulator with a tough reputation now has responsibility over the moral, ethical, and political dimensions of what tech companies do.

The 66-year-old Bulgarian economist and former chief executive of the World Bank remains the only candidate to replace Christine Lagarde.

Africa is on the cusp of exponential growth.

Brexit architect is Prime Minister Boris Johnson's right-hand man.

Gender diversity gets a boost in Europe.

A new round of banking consolidation in Europe?

Gonzalo Gortázar, CEO of CaixaBank, talks about the crucial importance of digital transformation.

UniCredit executives Gianfranco Bisagni and Niccolò Ubertalli point to several positive trends that are pumping up the bank’s profits in Central and Eastern Europe.

Banks are benefiting from accelerating economic growth in Central and Eastern Europe.

Banks in Western and Northern Europe zero in on the needs of customers and communities to boost profits.

Demand for materials needed in batteries and energy storage has created a dynamic new market for once-obscure metals. Can supply keep up with demand?

Angela Merkel chooses a successor to follow in her footsteps.

Fallout from Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn's shocking arrest puts the future of three automakers at risk.

Azerbaijan has turned a corner and is diversifying away from oil dependency.

A new tariff-reduction deal aims to knit Africa together economically. But with infrastructure and productivity deficits, is the continent ready to take advantage of it? 

A free trade pact, new infrastructure investment, and diaspora bonds are some of the ingredients in Africa’s recipe for economic expansion.

Political crisis leaves Sweden's economic untouched.

Diplomatic breakthrough on disputed sea and energy issues.

The complex wealth of globe-trotting executives and entrepreneurs comes with unique considerations, requiring specialized understanding and advice.

Out with the old, in with the new? Not quite, as the region’s incumbent banks are stepping up to the challenge presented by a spate of new, digital-only entrants that have no legacy system costs.      

With customers hungry for new digital experiences and a large unbanked population, Africa is shaping up as a bellwether of how banks can truly embrace the digital age and serve customers better.

Bold strategies blaze a trail: From embracing new technologies to taking steps to minimize regulatory burdens, northern and western banks find ways to make their own destinies.

Global Finance unveils its 25th annual best banks in the world list. The winners have outperformed their peers and provide top-notch service to clients in a challenging environment. 

ING CEO Ralph Hamers explains how his bank is using digital technology to improve customer relationships.

Thriving regardless of home-base conditions: The CEE economic outlook varies country-by-country, but financial-services providers have risen above local issues by embracing fintech and selling off bad loans.

Maria Ramos, chief executive of Barclays Africa (Absa), wants to tap into Africa’s tech savviness to get ahead of the digital wave that is breaking across the continent.

Piyush Gupta, CEO of DBS, talks with Global Finance about the bank’s record year, its digital transformation and the value of owning your own technology.

Michael Jordaan, co-founder and chairman of Bank Zero, and his team are working around the clock to launch their digital-only bank, which will provide competitive fees and savings rates for consumers.

WPP chairman Martin Sorrell’s successor Roberto Quarta inherits a company in crisis in a troubled industry.

Asian banks power ahead: Clever strategies, niche appeal and foreign alliances raise the profits and prestige of financial institutions across the vast continent.

Johann Strobl, CEO of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), talks about the positive results from the bank’s digital and structural transformations.

The rand and South African stocks rallied on the news of Zuma's removal as the republic's president, but challenges remain for his successor.

Fierce competition among Swiss banks to win the business of the world’s wealthy has led to a raft of management shake-ups.

Vienna has positioned Austria well to benefit from CEE growth that seems ready to take off after years of stagnation.

After the BRICS and MINT, which emerging-market economies will be tagged as leaders with a jazzy acronym?

The Catalan president gained wider recognition after calling last month’s referendum to secede from Spain, which was deemed illegal by Madrid.

ING CEO Ralph Hamers talks to Global Finance about what it has taken for the bank to turnaround after the financial crisis, its digital strategy and the changes expected to disrupt the banking system in future.

Off-grid solar technology will be crucial to meet the energy needs of the 650 million Africans without reliable access to electric power.    

ING CEO Ralph Hamers seeks to put the customer in the driver’s seat, using technology as a tool toward that end, not as a goal unto itself.

With major multinationals scaling back in Africa, regional players of all sizes are embracing the opportunities left behind.  

Emerging markets took 9% of the global total of $240 billion invested by private capital funds during the  the first half of 2017, the highest share since before emerging markets’ sudden fall from grace in 2011.

Serbia took pole position in the 2016 global performance index for greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) released by fDi Intelligence, an FT data division. It displaced Vietnam, index leader for the two previous years.

European Court of Justice's interim measures against Poland for logging in the Białowieża forest further strains relations between the country and the EU spearking fears of a Polexit

The UK has brought criminal charges against Barclays and four former executives over deals made with Qatar in the depths of the 2008 financial crisis.

New patterns are disrupting global trade, altering relationships and reshaping international business practices. 

Despite gloomy forecasts, Britain’s expected economic collapse has not materialized, and new research suggests the impact on trade will be mitigated.

ING, long a pioneer in direct banking, is planning for a digital future that chairman and CEO Ralph Hamers says will transform the experience of both retail and wholesale customers.

Question and Answer with Johann Strobl chairman and CEO of Raiffeisen Bank International