“Growth is of vital importance in this business and we utilize advanced digital technologies to better respond to customer needs,” said Ito. “We are transforming our portfolio by creating new ‘service pillars’ and strengthening our internal human resource strategies by building a performance-focused organizational culture.”

Japanese investment into China is expected to remain steady over the next few years as the two countries continue to strengthen economic ties.

“If you love China as much as we do, you will be inspired to contribute to the country,” concluded Ito. “We see an increasing need for non-life insurance solutions including human resource accidental fees, natural disasters, cargo and property. Our success is based on our affinity for China and our desire to support the economy. We look forward to further developing the positive relationships MSIC has nurtured with clients in China as we share our passion for success.”

www.ms-ins.com.cn

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Turkey’s central position at the crossroads of several subregions makes it an attractive production hub. This should be one of the significant key factors that Japanese and worldwide investors continually look to for investments into Turkey.

With the Japan Securities Dealers Association (JSDA) as one of Borsa Istanbul’s accredited commissions, Japanese investors have the opportunity to invest in companies focused on sustainability and good corporate governance.

“The JSDA certification has led to increased interest from Japanese investors regarding Turkish assets,” said Mehmet Gonen, acting CEO of Borsa Istanbul. “New equity funds have been set up facilitating Japanese investments in Turkish equities.”

Borsa Istanbul aims to be a global integrated marketplace for regional financial assets by providing a reliable, transparent, competitive and sustainable trading platform. “Japanese high savings and Turkish high growth are a perfect match generating numerous high-yield opportunities and support for Turkish economic development,” Gonen said.

www.borsaistanbul.com/en

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“By providing high-quality services, clear explanations and financial backing to our clients, we are well positioned to deliver the best possible support to domestic and regional customers,” Inoue said.

Mizuho (and its previous iterations) have supported Turkish clients since 1990. The institution began further improving its relationships with firms in Turkey in 2012 when it established a representative office in Istanbul.

As Japan and Turkey strengthened their bilateral economic ties, Mizuho fostered a strong relationship with both Japanese and non- Japanese companies in the country and across the region.

In recent years, Mizuho in Turkey has grown significantly thanks to its strong reputation within the financial market. The institution continues to play a major role in facilitating investments to Turkey, not only from the Japanese, but also from other worldwide investors.

Meanwhile, the Turkey Asia Investors Conference, which was held in Hong Kong and Taipei in May 2018, was seen by more than 100 Asian investors and major Turkish financial institutions as an opportunity for the diversification of their investment funding.

“Our strong partnership with Turkey has always played an important role in the success of our institution,” said Inoue.

“By continuing to work together, we’ll be able to further provide the country with our best interest and guide the way toward the growth of the Turkish economy.”

www.mizuhobank.com

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Capital Market

“The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has been instrumental in supporting our economic growth with 711 listed companies and 550 billion USD market capitalization or 102 percent of GDP. We have the highest liquidity and largest initial public offering (IPO) among our ASEAN peers. SET places great importance to sustainability issue, having been recognized as the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchange with 19 listed companies in Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

SET also recognizes the importance of innovations that not only improve our operating efficiency but also enable new opportunities such as mutual fund distribution platform and digital assets ecosystem. SET also collaborates with various exchanges to exchange best practices and promote cross border investment.”

Japan

“Japan has been and will continue to be an important partner of Thailand for many years as our top export destination and key investors in strategic industries such as automotive and electronics. SET has a close collaboration with Japan Stock Exchange on Financial Literacy.”

Message

“The Stock Exchange of Thailand aims to become an efficient capital market platform for sustainable growth to all sectors of the society locally and internationally under the vision ‘To Make the Capital Market Work for Everyone.’”

www.set.or.th

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The group has over 53,000 employees across approximately 1,200 branches and serves customers with over 9,000 ATMs on the African continent.

Standard Bank’s complete range of services includes personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking and wealth management.

In 2018 headline earnings were 27.9 billion South African rand (about $2.1 billion) and total assets amounted to 2.1 trillion rand (about $148 billion). Standard Bank’s market capitalization on Dec. 31 was 289 billion rand ($20 billion).

With widely held shares, just over 50 percent of the group’s shares are owned by international investors. The largest shareholder (with a 20.1 percent shareholding) is the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China — the world’s largest bank.

www.standardbank.com
www.icbc.com.cn
www.jse.co.za
www.nsx.com.na

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CFC’s business community includes more than 180 members, with a footprint in 46 African countries. They are active across four major categories: financial companies, regional headquarters of multinational companies, service providers and holding companies.

Now recognized as one of the world’s most promising financial centers, CFC has also built a strong network of international partners, comprised of 12 international financial centers and 18 African investment promotion agencies, which are part of the “South-South partnerships”.

“We offer our members an attractive value proposition in a modern business environment with streamlined processes including administrative fasttracks, facilitation of people and capital flow and a fully operational international mediation and arbitration center in Casablanca. In parallel, a premium ‘Doing Business’ personalized support is available to our members so as to allow them to devote their focus towards their core business development. CFC is proud to contribute to Africa’s economic dynamism by accompanying world-leading companies. We cater to our community, while committing to promote our members’ expertise and enabling fruitful business synergies through our networking platform,” said Said Ibrahimi, CEO of Casablanca Finance City.

www.casablancafinancecity.com

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“Our success is founded on our highly skilled team of people who have the technical know-how and strong communication skills to understand the needs of our clients across a range of sectors.”

Initially established to serve the maritime industry, Sanad Assurances has diversified its services and product offerings. Today, the company offers personal, automotive, housing and facultative (reinsurance) in addition to industrial and advanced risk services.

With his background in mechanical engineering, Laamarti is able to build close relationships with the company’s corporate clients, especially in the industrial sector.

“Many members of our upper management have backgrounds in engineering and with our close industry ties, we have taken a leading position and set ourselves apart from the competition,” said Laamarti.

“An increasing amount of foreign direct investment is reaching Morocco. Sanad Assurances is continuing to build new partnerships with multinationals while nurturing existing business relationships with companies already reaping the rewards of investing in the country.

“The automotive, energy and aeronautical sectors are flourishing in Morocco and Japanese multinationals are starting to take notice,” said Laamarti.

“Thanks to our long-term approach we have already established strong partnerships with leading Japanese companies active in Morocco, and we look forward to building more new friendships and exciting partnerships.”

www.sanad.ma

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BDO Unibank’s extensive branch network, which includes a presence in industrial zones, ATMs and cash deposit machines benefit Japanese investors across the Philippines.

“We understand the needs of foreign investors and through our comprehensive range of products and services we assist investors and help generate a stress-free business environment for them,” said Edward G. Wenceslao, BDO Unibank senior vice president and head of international desks.

The Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry recently disclosed that $1.24 billion worth of investment and expansion of existing projects by Japanese companies is expected to pour into the country’s manufacturing, agriculture, retail, real-estate, automotive and education sectors. This will provide BDO Unibank with opportunities to deliver more banking solutions to investors from Japan.

“In the Philippines, and across the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region, we are constantly finding ways to improve our services and capabilities to give the foreign investment community a better banking experience,” said BDO Unibank Chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson. “We fully recognize their importance in strengthening the economy.”

BDO Unibank also has dedicated Europe, North America, China, Taiwan, Korea and ASEAN desks managed by a multilingual team. BDO Unibank’s representative offices in Beijing, Taipei and Seoul continue to assist clients as they invest in the Philippines.

www.bdo.com.ph

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Driven by the country’s sound macroeconomic fundamentals and growth prospects, particularly in infrastructure, the Philippines continues to rank among the best countries to invest in. This has led to a growing interest from foreign companies, specifically Japan, to invest in the country.

Among the conglomerates that have taken the opportunities is the Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC). The bank has recently formed partnerships with three Japanese banks: two from the Kansai Mirai Financial Group, Inc. under Resona Holdings Inc., namely the Osaka-based Kansai Urban Banking Corp. and the Kobe-based Minato Bank; and Shoko Chukin Bank, a Japanese government institution that supports small and midsized enterprises (SME).

These deals seek to encourage and support Japanese businesses, especially SME, to invest in ecozones in the Philippines, particularly in the financial, retail and infrastructure sectors.

This partnership likewise opens better prospects for Philippine companies who wish to do business with Japan — a win-win for the economies of both countries.

RCBC has had a long and solid relationship with the Japanese market since 1974.

This alliance is in line with the bank’s mandate to extend its robust and innovative products and services by way of fostering and strengthening both local and global partnerships, all solidifying its role in improving Filipino lives.

For more information, visit www.rcbc.com  or contact the Japanese Business Relationship Office at +632 894 9000 local 1433.

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With over US$500 billion under management, Asset Management One is one of the largest asset management companies in Japan and Asia.

Through the company’s global network of offices in Tokyo, New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore, Asset Management One is able to offer a wide range of high-standard products and solutions and provide localized services to investors around the world.

“As we embark on our second mid-term plan, we will harness the expertise which our four member companies have cultivated over the years and allocate our resources effectively to become a goal-based solutions provider,” shares Sugano.

“We plan to go the extra mile in analysing our clients’ portfolios and adapt to their needs in order to provide solutions which will enable our customers to achieve their financial goals.”

Asset Management One is a signatory of the United Nations-supported ‘Principles for Responsible Investment’ and has worked on socially-responsible investments from day one to support clients’ long-term interests.

“Our multiple ESG (environmental, social and governance) related funds total US$1.4 billion and are proving to be of great interest to our target client base,” shares Sugano.

With a presence in Singapore for over a decade through DIAM’s Singapore office, the company’s investment capabilities have been strengthened in order to meet growing demand across the region.

“We will be preparing for more various types of products to fit into the market needs including Singapore,” concludes Sugano. “Our Singapore office will play a key role in leading our efforts to expand our customer base across Asia. Looking forward, we intend to become the most-trusted asset management company in the industry.”

www.am-one.co.jp/english

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