Feature
Kazakhstan’s long path to inflation targeting
After a slow start, the National Bank of Kazakhstan’s implementation of inflation forecast targeting is beginning to mature. By Warren Coats
PBoC’s hike signals policy management shift
The decision by China’s central bank to raise a suite of interest rates around Chinese New Year marks a shift towards market-based tightening, argues Hui Feng
New deposits backed by central bank money could solve public mistrust
New deposits backed by central bank reserves could address public fears about bank safety following the use of bail-in tools in the resolution of regional banks, argues Alessandro Roselli
Central bank of the year: Bank of England
The BoE has undergone a major restructuring that has reshaped its organisational framework, research and public interaction – leaving it well positioned to meet the challenges ahead after a tough year
Risk manager of the year: Bank of Ghana
The central bank has built a dedicated risk function, instilling a strong risk management culture into business operations and protecting itself from emerging threats
Risk management services provider of the year: OpenLink
OpenLink has continued the evolution of its Findur product with the development of collateral management functionality, notably supporting the Bank of Canada in its move towards collateral posting
Website of the year: Central Bank of Kenya
The East African central bank has embraced responsive design to cater for an increasingly mobile audience, eclipsing the websites of many peers
Consultancy and advisory services provider of the year (core): BearingPoint
BearingPoint’s consultants received high praise for their work in helping central banks manage large volumes of regulatory data, and the firm’s software underwent an upgrade in 2016
Consultancy and advisory services provider of the year (bespoke): Innovia Security
Polymer bank note provider also offers a suite of advisory services from design through to recycling to prepare central banks for the transition to ‘plastic’ bank notes, as highlighted in Nicaragua
Transparency: Bank of Canada
Communications embedded in the policy process, fresh thinking on shared content and an expanded senior team show the central bank’s commitment to staying at the leading edge of transparency
Banknote and currency services provider of the year: Crane Currency
Leading micro-optics provider continues to deliver a full range of services from design to print to a large number of central banks around the world to ensure integrity of cash
Initiative of the year: Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority’s compliance standards activation project
Sama has made a strong start in its efforts to develop an enterprise-wide risk management culture
Reserve manager of the year: Bank of Israel
Israel’s central bank has made breakthroughs in its sensitivity analysis of near-optimal portfolios, as well as making notable gains from its diversification strategy
Asset manager of the year: State Street Global Advisors
Boston-based asset manager not only has depth and reach – it has taken customisable services to a new level
Global securities lending services provider of the year: BNP Paribas Securities Services
The French bank has helped a range of official institutions to glean additional revenue from their bond holdings in tight markets
Central bank governor of the year: Carlos Fernández Valdovinos
The governor of the Central Bank of Paraguay has had considerable success hitting Paraguay’s tightening inflation target while boosting the nation’s economic credentials
Economics in central banking: Leo Krippner
His work on term structure modelling has helped central bank policy-makers to track the effects of unconventional policies and it raises many interesting possibilities for future research
Technology provider of the year (risk management): Calypso Technology
Calypso scored several prestigious client wins in Denmark, France, South Africa and Spain by tailoring its platform to the needs of central banks
Technology provider of the year (supervision): Vizor Software
Vizor Software has transitioned from a niche consultancy to a technology provider of choice for central banks in 30 countries, including Canada, the UK and Saudi Arabia
Payments and market infrastructure provider of the year: VocaLink
The UK payments provider has built on domestic success to support real-time payments in Thailand and the US
Is the Central Bank of Argentina back?
The Central Bank of Argentina’s new governor, Federico Sturzenegger, has made strong progress in tackling runaway inflation and reversing the country’s monetary decline. But many challenges remain
Big data in central banking: 2016 survey
Results and analysis of a survey examining how central banks view big data and data governance in their institutions
AnaCredit: banking with (pretty) big data
The supranational credit database in Europe will help policy-makers and banks assess cross-border risk when it goes live in 2018, writes Aurel Schubert, director-general of the European Central Bank’s statistics department
IFRS 9 deadline looms
The successful implementation of new accounting rules for financial instruments requires urgent attention and leadership from frontline departments. It should not be left solely to the accountants