Episode 131: Building a sustainable bank in MENA

The global economy needs to transition to net zero and trade finance should be a powerful lever in making that happen. But the development and adoption of ESG standards in trade finance has been slow. So, what’s behind the delay? Technology? Data? Product-market fit mismatch? The challenge of getting global co-operation? This podcast is led by Helene Panzarino, CSFI Director, Fintech Innovator, and Author, and features Vera Spender Koubek, MBA, MSc, PIEMA, a sustainability consultant and adviser and Charles Radclyffe, Founder and CEO of EthicsGrade who discuss why trade finance is not delivering its full ESG potential covering: key barriers to ESG adoption including the qualitative nature of the industry which makes it difficult to standardise data and unify metrics; metrics that may not be fit for purpose leveraging ESG data to identify and mitigate supply chain risks the role of technology in enabling greater transparency and traceability in transacting, reporting and decision-making the state of collaboration between FIs and key partners to direct capital to sustainable opportunities in emerging markets and support the likes of SMEs, and female-owned businesses to address gender imbalances the potential lack of financial instruments to incentivise ESG improvements, (penalise poor performance) and create greater industry alignment with sustainable best practice.

In this episode of Unlocking Banking in Asia, host Sara Mabelis, Country Manager, LIBF APAC, was joined by Kristina Anguelova, Senior Advisor & Consultant for Sustainable Finance to WWF, to breakdown the current ecosystem of sustainable finance in the APAC region.

Most of us have to undertake job interviews at some point in our lives. In this podcast our Director of PR, Heather Tilston, talks to Lewis Byford, from Antony George Recruitment, about how to prepare for interviews, the different types of interviews you may face and what to do if you don’t get the role. You can download some free interview tips and CV resources from Antony George’s website: https://antonygeorge.com/resources/ For more information on our qualifications and training go to our ⁠website ⁠and follow us on our social channels on ⁠Twitter ⁠and ⁠Linkedin⁠.

Why might you want to consider a career in financial planning or advice, what are the career opportunities, how do you stand out as a candidate, how do you progress and what’s the outlook for the market in these complex times? Lewis Byford, from Antony George Recruitment discusses all of this with our Director of PR, Heather Tilston – and talks about their unique approach to supporting both candidates and employers in our latest careers podcast. Antony George Recruitment has also launched special services for LIBF members – listen to the podcast to find out more! Lewis' LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewis-byford-mirp-certrp-b540a6118/ For more information on our qualifications and training go to our website and follow us on our social channels on Twitter and Linkedin.

Join us for an insightful podcast featuring Broderick C Santos, Division Head at East West Bank Banking Corporation, and Sara Mabelis, Country Manager, LIBF APAC. Explore Broderick's 19-year banking journey, uncovering key milestones and challenges that shaped his unique leadership style. Hear all about his passion for financial inclusion and the work he's doing to support his local community. Gain insights into banking trends, the industry's future, and receive career development tips for aspiring professionals.

More than nine out of ten people in the UK have experienced exam nerves at school or university and in stressful situations such as job interviews, according to a new study by LIBF. However most don’t seek help – despite many experiencing far-reaching negative impacts for their lives. LIBF’s Director of Communications, Heather Tilston, discusses how nerves manifest and how to deal with them with LIBF’s Director of Careers & Employability and Lecturer, Nadim Choudhury. For more information on our degrees and professional qualifications go to our website and follow us on our social channels on Twitter and Linkedin.

Hear from the team behind the 9th edition of the CSFI Insurance Banana Skins ­– an industry barometer on key risks facing banking and insurance professionals over the next 2-3 years. Joining us from PwC are Andy Moore, Partner - Lloyd’s and London Market Leader and Alex Juniper, Director, Insurance Risk & Regulation, as well as the CSFI research team of David Lascelles, Author and Keyur Patel, Independent Writer & Consultant. Read the full Insurance Banana Skins report. For more information on our qualifications and training go to our website and follow us on our social channels on Twitter and Linkedin. Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (05:12) Report history and methodology (10:49) Technology (14:52) Interconnectivity of the risks (18:35) Competition risk (23:00) Artificial intelligence (40:38) Human talent (46:38) Climate change (56:08) Macro-economic (57:41) Post covid (01:02:10) Corporate governance (01:04:40) De-globalisation

In this episode, ex-Director of the CSFI, Dr Martina Garcia, talks to Natalie Schoon, an expert in Islamic finance, who outlines the challenges – and the potential avenues for future growth – that Islamic finance should explore to reach its full potential in the years ahead.

The Central Labelling Agency (CLA) is a not-for-profit with one goal – to enlarge the impact and substance of sustainable saving and investing. Director of the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation (CSFI) Martina Garcia talks to Tom Van den Berghe, Managing Director, Central Labelling Agency (CLA) of the Belgian SRI Label vzw/asbl about Towards Sustainability, the CLA's flagship label, and some of the challenges around measuring the impact of sustainable finance.

Martina Garcia, Director of the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation (CSFI), Perihan M. Adelghaly, Programme Leader at The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF), and Vera Spender, a sustainability and ESG consultant and adviser, discuss LIBF’s latest whitepaper: ‘How to build a sustainable bank in MENA’. The discussion focuses on the practical challenges banks in MENA face in implementing and demonstrating ESG standards and the importance of environmental and social risk management. It also provides an outline of the ways in which banks can enhance human and institutional capacity to grasp the business opportunities ahead. For more information on our qualifications and training go to our website and follow us on our social channels on Twitter and Linkedin.