招行这3年

中国本土最好的零售银行招商银行距离自己的梦想似乎又近了一步。 3月20日，招商银行行长马蔚华前往香港德辅道中永隆银行总部，去给招商银行集团第一家海外私人财富管理中心剪彩。这里地处寸土寸金的中环，在它不远处，就是汇丰银行和恒生银行在香港的总部大厦，周边更是林立着花旗银行、渣打银行和中国银行等银行的大招牌。

RESHAPING CHINA MERCHANTS BANK

China Merchants Bank (CMB), one of the top retail banks in China, seems to get closer to its dreams. The Hong Kong based Wing Lung Bank (WLB), which was acquired by CMB in 2008, launched the first oversea private fortune management center on March 20. At first, the financial circle does not think highly of this HKD19.3 billion (USD2.48 billion) marriage between CMB and WLB. But Ma Weihua, President and CEO of CMB, has proved his choice is right: within mere three years, WLB increased its Hong Kong branches from 35 to 43 and realized 30% increase of annual profits. The bank in the red has become one of the most dynamic and promising commercial banks in Hong Kong. A nd the private bank ing business also complements CMB in of fshore bank ing. After merger with WLB, CMB’s international development strategy is carried out bilaterally: CMB a nd MLB have set up bra nches or representative offices in major financial centers of the world, so as to help each other in offshore businesses. But Ma has always been worried about the future of CMB due to changes in international supervision regulations, which would force banks to switch their directions and enforce internal reforms. CMB’s transformation in 2004 has enabled it to adjust business structure and guarantee fast growth in the following five years. But the performance in the first half of 2009 has shown an unusual loss, from which Ma has smelled the time for the second transformation. Three years have passed and the second transformation has come to a close. What changes have been made in CMB will be revealed in the cover story of this issue.