Greetings,

It’s usually around this time that I take a fairly deep breath in anticipation of the weeks to come, which are dominated by multi-hour pitch meetings for our annual private banking Awards For Distinction. And it isn’t lost on the APB editorial team that you, the industry, put an inordinate amount of time and resources into your submissions, which is why this exercise is nothing short of exhilarating.

I do have a couple of points to raise on this matter.

First, pitch meeting slots are rapidly filling up, so please get in touch with me directly if you intend to schedule an in-person (or VC) meeting with editorial. I will do my utmost to accommodate your requirements given how complex it can be at your end to arrange these things.

Second, we are (re)introducing the Best Private Bank – Funds Advisory Services category simply because a number of banks have expressed intense interest in pitching.

Happy to oblige. It is important to note that funds advisory is still an important part of our all-encompassing Best Private Bank – Advisory Services award, but we are more than happy to recognise excellence in the funds space specifically.

Please also note that the late inclusion of this category does not necessarily mean that we will award it. Rather, it is an invitation for submissions. I will be flexible with deadlines due to the limited notice window.

The website will be updated in due course but, for now, please see the category criteria below.

Any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.

Asian Private Banker Awards For Distinction
Best Private Bank – Fund Advisory Services
2017 Criteria
 

Your Top Eight for the week follows.

Cheers,
Sebastian Enberg
Editor

INDUSTRY | EXCLUSIVE   16 October 2017
UBS’ private banking play in China will be “cost effective”, says Axel Weber
UBS’ chairman, Axel Weber, believes the Swiss bank’s business model gives it a leg up on foreign retail-linked rivals with designs on China’s onshore private banking market, and that collaborations with domestic banks will result in cost efficiencies.

APB MANDATE | ADVISORY | CIO | EXCLUSIVE  19 October 2017
Asia’s private banks react to CPC congress
Investors around the world have been focusing their attention on the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) 19th congress, where the party’s leaders are reflecting on progress made since 2012 and mapping out guidelines and policies for the next five years.

INDUSTRY | EXCLUSIVE   19 October 2017
DBS Private Bank’s international desk sees “higher” DPM penetration outside of Asia
Within DBS Private Bank’s relatively new international business, discretionary portfolio management (DPM) penetration rates are “higher” outside of Asia, Rob Ioannou, head of international at DBS Private Bank, tells Asian Private Banker.

APB MANDATE | ADVISORY | FUNDS | EXCLUSIVE  17 October 2017
Unconstrained bond strategies dominate fixed income fund flows in 2017
Owing to investors’ desire to access a wider universe of fixed income instruments and gain exposure without making intra-asset class calls, unconstrained strategies have dominated bond fund demand this year, according to an Asian Private Banker survey.

WEALTH PLANNING | EXCLUSIVE   17 October 2017
Wealthy Indonesians “redistributing” assets amongst family members following tax amnesty
In the wake of the country’s tax amnesty programme, Indonesian private banking clients are resettling their trusts and redistributing their wealth amongst family members, says Sheau-Yuen Tan, Deutsche Bank Wealth Management’s head of wealth planning for the Asia Pacific.

REGULATIONS | EXCLUSIVE   13 October 2017
With multiple regulators, Hong Kong faces challenges in developing shared KYC utility
Given that Hong Kong’s financial services industry is overseen by a number of regulators, a know-your-client (KYC) specialist believes that the development of a common KYC platform will be a relatively difficult undertaking in the city.

TECHNOLOGY | EXCLUSIVE   18 October 2017
Banking on blockchain: Who are the key players?
The buzz around blockchain and its applicability within the banking world is growing louder by the day, and the bitcoin market’s barnstorming run certainly helps. Bitcoin, the digital currency that leverages blockchain technology, has flown past the US$5,000 mark and reached a new record high on Friday of US$5,700. As of 18 October, the currency has since retreated to US$5,501, according to CoinDesk.

APB MANDATE | ADVISORY | CIO | EXCLUSIVE   18 October 2017
Private banks expect outflows from Asian local currency bonds
With markets anticipating that the US Federal Reserve will adopt an increasingly hawkish tone – a boon for the US dollar – private banks in Asia expect to see capital outflows from local currency bonds in the region.