Finance

The intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in October removed South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Burkina Faso from its “Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring” list, commonly known as the FATF gray list. The decision followed on-site assessments and noted improvements in the four African countries’ anti-money-laundering (AML) and counter-terror-financing (CFT) frameworks. …

Judith Hartmann, taking over as Bayer’s CFO next June, is a skilled mountaineer. Earlier this year, she climbed Aconcagua, a 22,838-foot peak in Argentina; it taught her “perseverance, adaptability and the power of belief in oneself,” she says. Bayer’s board is counting on it. Hartmann will succeed Wolfgang Nickl as …

The 21 member states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) can now trade directly in local currencies rather than the US dollar via its recently launched Digital Retail Payments Platform (DRPP), which went live on October 9. The Lusaka-based bloc notes that the platform reduces settlement …

As Korea’s largest securities firm, managing USD 393.6 billion in client assets as of Q2 2025, Mirae Asset Securities has established itself as a global institution known for sophisticated investment capabilities and consistently high-quality service. Size is not its only strength; the company sees innovation as a strategic imperative—and is …

Digital Transformation: AI, ecosystems, and security drive digital-bank innovations The global financial industry is being radically shaped by three core forces: industrialization of AI; development of expansive digital ecosystems; and refreshed emphasis on providing secure, customer-centric digital services. These forces are the foundation of the institutions being recognized here. The …

After months of tariff-led uncertainty, trade opportunities are re-emerging, but friction remains. The rules that once governed global trade and investment are changing. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) recently warned that the world economy is at a crossroads, as rising tariffs, record debt and growing mistrust slow …

Some argue that warnings about private credit’s risks reflect not just financial caution but tension and competition between banks and private lenders. Blackstone’s latest move tells the story. In November, the firm led a £1.5 billion ($2 billion) private-credit package to finance London-based Permira’s buyout of JTC plc: a transaction …

From AI integration to tokenization: Regional leaders are looking to digital innovation to cut costs, increase efficiency, and deliver on an expanding menu of client needs and expectations. A drive for improved customer experience, greater efficiency, and deeper technological integra­tion defines corporate and institutional digital banking today. Leading institutions are …

Giorgi Vakhtangishvili, chief digital officer at Bank of Georgia, discusses how an ecosystem mindset, in-house innovation, and contextual finance drive human-centric digital experiences. Global Finance: Bank of Georgia was named the World’s Best Digital Bank for the second year in a row. What have been the most critical factors to …

Home Executive Interviews Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna On Innovation, Heritage, And The Road Ahead Benedetto Vigna discusses his four years of leading an iconic brand through rapid technological change, balancing tradition with progress, and steering growth from Maranello, Italy, to the global stage. Vigna is a physicist and longtime technology …