CFO Insights
SWOT Analysis: Mexico Elections and Beyond
As Mexico voted in the new president, Bonds & Loans met with a broad range of local finance leaders, corporate chiefs and state officials to discuss the market outlook and get a sense of the risks and opportunities on the horizon.
4 Jul 2018
Interview: Mybucks Taking a Lead in Microfinancing Space Across Africa
Financial inclusion has been a challenge that African FIs have struggled to overcome for decades, with vast chunks of the population remaining unbanked to this day. Now a number of microfinance institutions are using fintech tools and disruptive technologies to bridge that gap. Tim Nuy, CEO of Mybucks, spoke to Bonds & Loans about the company’s achievements and goals for this year.
3 Jul 2018
Interview: MTS Blockchain Bond Could Lead to “Faster, Transparent and More Secure Transactions”
The Russian telecoms giant became a trailblazer in issuing distributed ledger fixed-income instruments this spring with the private placement of a RUB750mn commercial bond using blockchain-embedded smart contracts. Alexander Smirnov, Head of Corporate Finance and Treasury, Mobile TeleSystems PJSC, explains how the company worked with Russia’s National Settlement Depositary and Sberbank to achieve…
27 Jun 2018
Kenya Pooled Water Fund CEO: The Water, Sanitation Sector is Ready for Green Bonds
A core part of Kenya’s Vision 2030 plan, the water and sanitation sector is driving significant improvements in the quality of life of the country’s citizens, and after years of regulatory review it is only just beginning to open up to private sector funding. Robert Bunyi, CEO of the Kenya Pooled Water Fund talks to Bonds & Loans about why green bonds could help funnel billions of shillings to…
22 Jun 2018
SkyWorld Development CFO on Issuing Malaysia’s First Musharakah Sukuk, IPO Plans, and Reform
Malaysia is currently in the midst of significant political change, and the country’s borrowers seem optimistic about the renewed urgency around fiscal reform. We speak with Andy Leong Chain Hong, CFO of SkyWorld Development Group, a leading property developer in Malaysia, about the direction of the economy following the country’s landmark elections, and discuss the company’s pioneering…
31 May 2018
Arezzo & Co CFO on Improving Consumer Sentiment in Brazil, and International Expansion
With consumer confidence once again on the rise in Brazil, Daniel Levy, CFO of Arezzo & Co. is optimistic about the company’s fortunes as the shoemaker looks to expand its footprint both within the country and abroad. We speak with Levy about the funding team’s core objectives and the company’s expansion efforts.
25 May 2018
Neeraj Agrawal, CFO, Crescent Petroleum on Raising New Capital in Rising Rate Environment
Neeraj Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer of Crescent Petroleum sat down with Bonds & Loans at the Bonds, Loans & Sukuk 2018 conference in Dubai to talk about the funding team's key priorities this year, and dislocations between risk and the perception of risk in the GCC.
22 May 2018
Dar Al-Arkan CFO: “We are facing 4 years of clear skies to use our operational cash flow”
The Saudi real estate developer continues to be one of the most active corporates on the GCC Islamic finance markets, with its latest USD500mn sukuk pushing the total value of the company’s Shariah-compliant instruments listed on Nasdaq Dubai to USD1.85bn. Bonds & Loans speaks with Mika Toivola, Chief Financial Officer, Finance Group, Dar Al-Arkan, about the latest trends in the sector and the…
15 May 2018
Off the Record: Issuers, Investors Upbeat on Sovereign Sukuk Prospects
Participants at an exclusive Sovereign Sukuk Roundtable hosted by Bonds & Loans and Emirates NBD Capital were upbeat about the benefits sukuk bring for both borrowers and investors, but concerns around thin liquidity, a lack of standards, and regulatory uncertainty have prompted difficult questions about the outlook for the asset class.
11 May 2018
Albaraka Turk: Orderly QE Unwind, Deepening GCC Ties Position Turkey to Manage Market Volatility
With a weakened currency and political volatility riding high, some analysts are concerned about the growing likelihood of a hard landing in Turkey – ever more with the backdrop being a strengthening dollar and US monetary policy normalisation. We speak with Albaraka Turk Chief Treasury and Investment Officer Malek Temsah about the country’s economy and the banking sector.
10 May 2018