Due to growing demand, corporations are looking for specialized financial professionals without hiring full-time employees. A growing number of experienced CFOs are stepping away from the corporate grind and taking on freelance roles for multiple clients, either concurrently or on a sequential basis. “The demand for (freelance) professional CFOs has roughly doubled in recent years,” … Read more
Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company (ADQ) has agreed to acquire a 96% stake in Audi Odeabank’s loss-making Turkish subsidiary as the United Arab Emirates deepens economic ties with Turkey. The deal, pending regulatory approval from the Banking Regulation and Supervision Authority and Turkey’s Competition Authority, demonstrates ADQ’s growing presence in banking markets. Lebanese Bank Audi … Read more
Despite security threats and political unrest, tiny Togo is attracting huge interest from foreign investors. A small West African country that is one of the world’s largest phosphate producers, Togo has a resurgent economy and prospects for further development. Its industrial sector is reviving after a long period of stagnation, new investors are coming, and … Read more
Collaboration is key to seizing opportunities in the changing payments environment The modern financial institution (FI) faces a challenging environment but compelling opportunities in Asia. Asia is the engine of global economic dynamics: according to the IMF, it will account for 60% of global growth in 2024 and is home to 60% of the world’s … Read more
Despite the recession and economic turmoil, Argentine technology startups are leading the way in Latin America. Few financial reports coming out of Argentina sound encouraging; The array of economic disasters that have plagued the South American country for much of the past decade can seem endless. However, Argentina continues to register as a bright spot … Read more
The winning party in November’s election will need to navigate growing social turmoil as the island nation seeks to become a global financial center. Elections in Africa are often contentious and disruptive to the socioeconomic order. Mauritius has evaded this rocky path and remains a beacon of democracy, hoping to maintain that pattern ahead of … Read more
China solidified its position as Africa’s largest bilateral trading partner last year, as trade with the continent reached a record $282.1 billion, up 1.5% from 2022. But a 7.5% surge in Chinese exports, to $173 billion, was not matched by imports from Africa, which fell by 6.7% to $109 billion, widening Africa’s trade deficit with … Read more
Bhutan is banking on a unique mix of abundant energy, a clean environment, and wellness entrepreneurism to lure foreign investors. A constitutional monarchy of 800,000 people, Bhutan is nestled in a region that’s home to nearly 3 billion. Bordered by China to the north and India to the east, west and south, the Himalayan nation … Read more
Innovation and leadership are core to Awash Bank’s success, both in its legacy as well as its future. It is already a pioneering privately-owned bank in Ethiopia’s financial landscape. Among its 29 peers in the domestic market, Awash Bank dominates in terms of asset size, profitability, capital base, deposits, and loans and advances. The next step, for most of the rest of this decade, is a roadmap to transform the bank to reach greater heights. “Our vision is … Read more
After a half-century in which it embraced a doctrine of free trade, the industrialized West seems to be moving in the opposite direction: rolling out an expanding list of new tariffs on imports and placing increased reliance on industrial policy to promote domestic industries. In the US, with both parties in this November’s presidential election … Read more