GBA Newsletter: December 2008

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GBA Newsletter

Dear GBA Members,Seasons Greetings!

I trust all of you are well and getting ready for the holiday season!

We want to thank all of you for your continuous support this year, and we look forward to being even more successful in 2009 in our mission to increase access to finance for women in business and women’s wealth creation worldwide.As discussed during the 2008 Summit, this newsletter is a vehicle to keep GBA members informed of best practices and experiences impacting the women’s market. Therefore, we encourage you to send us any articles or pieces of news on the topic that you think would be interesting for our members at mdassanou@ifc.org ,or gba@gbaforwomen.org

GBA HAPPENINGS 

Welcome to GBA member Intesa SanPaolo!

Intesa Sanpaolo is a banking group resulting from the merger between Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI. It has leadership in the Italian market and a strong international presence focused on Central-Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Intesa Sanpaolo intends to become a benchmark for the creation of value in the European banking sector.
Intesa Sanpaolo is among the top banking groups in the euro zone, with a market capitalization of 29.5 billion euro(1), and leader in Italy in all business areas (retail, corporate and wealth management). Thanks to a network of 6,518 branches capillary and well distributed throughout the country, with market shares above 15% in most Italian regions, the Group offers its services to about 11.4 million customers.

GBA Summit 2008

Thanks to all members who attended the GBA Summit recently held in London. The closed sessions presentations, as well as Summit pictures are now accessible on the “Members Only” section of the GBA website. If you encounter any difficulties opening any of the documents, please do not hesitate to contact Esther at mdassanou@ifc.org .

Mark your calendars!

GBA Summit 2009
Hosted by Standard Chartered in Singapore, the next GBA Summit will take place from September 30th to October 2nd, 2009. More details will be sent as the date approaches.

Next GBA Webinars

Please note that the next webinar for 2009 will take place on January 27 at 6:00 pm Washington DC time. The theme proposed for the first webinar of the year is Supply Chain finance and gender, which will be presented by fellow GBA member UPS Capital. Also, for future webinars, we have created a calendar which will be posted in the “Events” section of the website for your review. Should there be any topics you would like to discuss on the 6th or during other webinars, please let us know by contacting Esther at mdassanou@ifc.org.

IN THE NEWS

Women only banking branch in Dubai
By  Khaled Hijab in Beirut
LA Times, November 17, 2008

Emirates Islamic Bank pioneered a banking branch solely for women in Dubai. Apart from guaranteeing the access to female only, the branch offers banking products with discounts and packages as well as facilities tailored to women(…). For more, please visit: http://islamicfinanceupdates.wordpress.com/2008/11/17/women-only-banking-branch-in-dubai/

Creating Customer Experiences
By Trask, Bridget
Community Banker, October 2008

(…)Be an advocate for your customers- and let them know it. Customers naturally want to put their money in an institution that they believe is looking out for them. Banks need to consider that fact as they shape customer interactions.(…) For more, please visit: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5344/is_200810/ai_n30993354?tag=content;col1

United Overseas Bank Unveils…
BY UOB
The UOB Lady’s Solitaire World MasterCard
United Overseas Bank Limited (“UOB”), Singapore’s largest card-issuer, together with MasterCard Worldwide (“MasterCard”) unveils the UOB Lady’s Solitaire World MasterCard (“Card”) today, a new product that will accord a select group of ladies with privileged access to a wide range of exclusive and luxurious products and services.For more, please visit: http://www.uob.com.sg/pages/investor/news/newsreleases/2008/news_25mar2008.html
Women Entrepreneurs Predict Growth
By Everywoman & NatWest