By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank has hired Gerhard Randa, an ex-head of Bank Austria, as chief executive of Sberbank Europe AG, a Vienna-headquartered subsidiary of Russia’s biggest lender operating in Austria, Germany and eight Eastern European countries. Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Europe
Lombard Odier: Brexit may shake London’s status as global financial hub
By Andrei Skvarsky. Swiss private bank Lombard Odier has warned that a Brexit – Britain’s potential exit from the European Union through the June 23 referendum – may threaten London’s status as a global financial centre, thereby depriving Britain of one of its key assets. Continue Reading
Amsterdam, Budapest forums to discuss collateral management, retail banking problems
The planned 5th Annual Collateral Management Forum in Amsterdam on June 2-3 will take up a variety of issues, including numerous challenges presented to financial institutions by continual regulatory changes. Continue Reading
Lombard Odier banker: Financial situation in Russia ‘under control’
By Andrei Skvarsky. Lombard Odier, a Swiss private bank with a presence in Russia, does not see the latter’s economic troubles as a major crisis and believes that the country might be at the start of a path towards recovery. Continue Reading
Lawyer suggests EU govts help dispel banks’ fears of returning to Iran
By Andrei Skvarsky. A London lawyer has suggested that European Union governments pilot European banks through a grey area that makes them afraid of moving into the Iranian market despite the United States’ lifting of nuclear programme-related sanctions against Iran in January. Continue Reading
Russian startups selected for programmes to help them move to Ireland – Pulsar
By Andrei Skvarsky. Some Russian startups planning to relocate to Ireland have been declared eligible for accelerator programmes run by NDRC, an Irish early-stage investor in technology companies, NDRC and Russian venture find Pulsar Venture Capital announced today, on St Patrick’s Day. Continue Reading
Kroll risk consultancy promotes execs based in UK, Asia, Russia to managing director
Kroll, a consultancy specialising in risk mitigation, compliance and security, has promoted five executives based in various parts of the globe to the position of managing director. Continue Reading
Kroll: Companies worldwide report increasing fraud
A survey commissioned by global risk solution provider Kroll suggests that corporate fraud has continued to increase in scale across the world in 2015 and has affected three quarters of companies worldwide this year. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: B2B firm Uppler doing business in 150 countries a year after birth
By Andrei Skvarsky. Business-to-business (B2B) deals are a fast-growing market, and B2B company Uppler, set up by three young Frenchmen in Tel Aviv a year ago has been able to extend its multi-industry business to more than 150 countries. The entire personnel of the dot-com firm are about a dozen people one of whom works… Continue Reading
Standard Chartered’s Pakistan subsidiary gets over first hurdle in Islamic banks contest
By Andrei Skvarsky. The Pakistani subsidiary of Britain’s Standard Chartered was among the winners of the first round of Global Finance’s debut contest for Islamic banks as part of the famous financial periodical’s annual competition for the title of the world’s best digital bank. Continue Reading
Bank of Cyprus selling subsidiary Uniastrum to cut exposure to Russia
Bank of Cyprus said on July 17 that it had signed an agreement to sell off its Russian subsidiary Uniastrum Bank as part of a plan to reduce the biggest Cypriot lender’s exposure to Russia. Continue Reading
Wikistrat: Debt woes unlikely to push Greece into Russia's arms
By Andrei Skvarsky. It is a natural thought that Greece’s financial woes might force Athens to step up its attempts to obtain help from Russia. Continue Reading
Oceanwood Raises $250M Fund For Bets on European Economic Recovery
Oceanwood Capital Management has raised $250 million in a new hedge fund to capitalize on economic recovery in Europe. Oceanwood has raised the capital from existing investors and plans to have a $350 million final close for the fund in September, according to a Reuters report. The new fund, named Oceanwood Peripheral European Select Opportunities… Continue Reading
Lombard Odier: Oil, other commodities to stay cheap for quite a while
By Andrei Skvarsky. Swiss bank Lombard Odier’s chief economist argues that low prices for oil and other commodities are here to stay. Continue Reading
IronFX: Greece’s payment to IMF, domestic spending threaten new recession
Cyprus-based foreign exchange trader IronFX warns that Greece’s promised debt payment to the International Monetary Fund on April 9 and domestic social spending planned for this month may send the country’s economy back into recession. Continue Reading
Lombard Odier: Greek crisis no obstacle to euro zone recovery
By Andrei Skvarsky. Swiss bank Lombard Odier argues that the Greek crisis is not systemic to the euro zone and does not jeopardise its recovery, not at this point at least. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: S&P’s junk grade for Russia no bombshell – Swiss banker
By Andrei Skvarsky. A Moscow-based senior manager at Swiss bank Lombard Odier has argued that ratings agency S&P’s lowering of the sovereign credit rating Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Economists say practically no chance of Greece leaving euro
By Andrei Skvarsky. The idea of a Greek exit from the eurozone is back in the foreground, largely because of upcoming elections in Greece, but three high-powered economists have argued in interviews with EmergingMarkets.me that there is practically zero chance of the country breaking away. Continue Reading
EU issues guidelines on how to avoid fraud in online payments
By Andrei Skvarsky. The European Union last month came up with guidelines for Internet payment providers on how to avoid increasing frauds that have yearly been sucking in hundreds of millions of euros across the EU. Continue Reading
EU regulator suggests client-focused guidelines for retail banks
By Andrei Skvarsky. The European Banking Authority (EBA) has published draft retail banking guidelines aimed at ensuring that banks in European Union countries pay more attention to the interests of consumers in designing their products. Continue Reading
IronFX authorised by FCA to deal in all types of financial instruments
By Andrei Skvarsky. IronFX Global, a global trader in foreign exchange, futures, shares, contracts for difference, commodities and spot metals, has received an enhanced licence from the British Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorising the company to act as principal and agent in investment, hold client funds, and deal in all types of financial instruments. Continue Reading
FxPro broker buys out forex spot aggregator Quotix
By Andrei Skvarsky. FxPro, a London-headquartered online retail foreign exchange broker, has bought out spot forex aggregator Quotix, which is based in Cyprus. Continue Reading
EU legislator proposes limiting ruble’s convertibility
By Andrei Skvarsky. A vice-president of the European Parliament has proposed limiting the convertibility of the Russian ruble as an addition to the Western sanctions imposed on Russia for its presumed support for the separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Continue Reading
Sberbank, VTB: no shares of sanctions-affected types to be issued
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank and VTB, Russia’s two main banks, have announced they have no plans to issue shares of types that European investors are forbidden to buy from them under sanctions imposed by the European Union on the two state-controlled lenders on July 29. Continue Reading
Chris Weafer: Sanctions against Sberbank, VTB unlikely to play havoc with Russia in 2014 but 2015 may be worse
By Andrei Skvarsky. Chris Weafer, who has spent 15 years as a top researcher in Russian investment banking, argues that the European Union’s sanctions against Russia’s biggest bank Sberbank and number-two lender VTB are unlikely to cause “a major disruption” to the Russian economy this year. Continue Reading
EME Sales Assistant for Solutions & FX Sales, London Based
A direct vacancy from www.russiansinthecity.eu Job Reference 66510 Job Title EME Sales Assistant for Solutions & FX Sales (BA4) The Sales Support team is responsible for a variety of functions to support the firm’s clients and our internal customers (sales and trading desks, other infrastructure areas) to ensure accurate and timely processing… Continue Reading
Investment banking internship at European bank, London based
A direct vacancy from www.russiansinthecity.eu Russian speaking intern required for a long term (12 months or more) internship to join an ECM team at a European investment bank. Prior banking experience is not required, but the candidate must demonstrate basic knowledge of finance and enthusiasm to work in the industry. The candidate must… Continue Reading
EME Sales Assistant for Solutions & FX Sales, London Based
Vacancy direct from www.russiansinthecity.eu Job Reference 66510 Job Title EME Sales Assistant for Solutions & FX Sales (BA4) The Sales Support team is responsible for a variety of functions to support the firm’s clients and our internal customers (sales and trading desks, other infrastructure areas) to ensure accurate and timely processing of transactions.… Continue Reading
Factoring – International Factoring Manager, London based
Vacancy direct from www.russiansinthecity.eu A London based company is looking for a specialist in international factoring to join UK office. Focusing on CIS market and working as Export Factor our company is aiming to further develop this growing market. The candidate must have previous factoring experience, preferably in the international factoring products.… Continue Reading