GTB Press

Transaction banks are responding to changes in the global trade environment by driving internal efficiencies, broadening their digital offerings, and reconfiguring their client service models. Amidst this change, the outlook for corporates is promising – increasingly digital and client-centric solutions, combined with fairer and more competitive pricing, say Raphael Barisaac and Adeline de Metz, Global Co-Heads of Trade Finance at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: A Shifting Global Trade Environment: How Transaction Bank Adaptations Will Benefit Corporates

Simone del Guerra, Global Head of Transactional Sales at UniCredit, discusses how the bank is embracing new technology, such as SWIFT gpi, and pioneering change in correspondent banking.

Click here for the article: UniCredit: Embracing The Banking Revolution

UniCredit goes live with instant payments in Italy and Germany and becomes the first bank to offer the service in the German market. The bank’s first payment was executed in the morning of 21 November between Germany and Italy.

Click here for the press release: UniCredit rolls out its cross-border instant payments solution, starting with Italy and Germany

With instant payments and the new Directive on Payment Services (PSD2) on Europe’s doorstep, the payments market is undergoing a seismic shift. Cédric Derras, Global Head of Cash Management at UniCredit, explains what these developments will mean for corporates and the wider payments community.

Click here for the article: How Businesses can Profit from the Revolution in Global Payments

Instant payments isn’t a one-horse race and UniCredit is backing a number of runners, as Global Head of Cash Management, Cédric Derras, explains.

Click here for the article: First past the post

The transaction banking landscape is transforming in front of our eyes. With the field awash with new technological capabilities, Jan Kupfer and Luca Corsini, Global Co-Heads, Global Transaction Banking at UniCredit, discuss the latest trends, their likely impacts, and how the industry can draw together to maximise the benefits for all.

Click here for the press release: Building the New Financial Ecosystem

Click here for the press release: Digital Trade Chain Consortium launches we.trade, announces Joint Venture and welcomes Banco Santander

Pan-European banking and financial services provider UniCredit will celebrate 45 years of successful service in South Africa this year, having provided support for European companies entering African markets from its Johannesburg-based representative office since 1972.

Click here for the article: Pan-European bank celebrates 45 years in SA

From managing the demands of regulatory compliance, the increasing digitisation across the industry, and the opportunities and threats presented by financial technology; to the potential of blockchain, the advent of realtime payments and concerns around cybersecurity, FX-MM’s panel of experts assess what it takes to survive and thrive in the fast-changing transaction banking sector.

Click here for the article: The future of transaction banking 

Click here for the online article: The future of transaction banking

This edition of TMI coincides with the EuroFinance conference, a major event in the treasury calendar, where we are likely to see a wealth of announcements of new solutions and innovative case studies. To coincide with this flagship event, Jan Kupfer, Global Co-Head, Global Transaction Banking at UniCredit talks to Helen Sanders, Editor, about some of the new opportunities for digitisation and treasury transformation.

Click here for the article: Driving innovation and Embracing Opportunity

Fashion leader OTB, parent company of major brands such as Diesel, Maison Margiela, Marni, Paula Cademartori and Viktor & Rolf, is a pioneer not only in its core business, but also in cash management. In 2016, in co-operation with partner bank UniCredit, OTB implemented an innovative virtual account solution in order to gain efficiency in the centralised collections management. In this article, Gianluca Marcolongo, SSC Treasury Manager, OTB SpA explores the project in more detail.

Click here for the article: Material Gains with Virtual Accounts

With digitalisation at the top of corporate agendas, and increasingly expansion-minded corporates turning to open account trade, treasurers have more - and more complex - requirements than ever. Adeline de Metz, Global Co-Head of Trade Finance, and Cédric Derras, Global Head of Cash Management, at UniCredit, look at the key issues facing treasurers - explaining how they can mitigate risks, increase security and harness innovation to meet their goals.

Click here for the article: Taking stock: Treasurers' priorities
Click here for the online article: Taking stock: Treasurers' priorities

The continuing move toward open account trade and away from traditional trade finance techniques offers corporates new levels of speed and flexibility, but it also exposes them to higher risks. According to Adeline de Metz and Raphael Barisaac, global co-heads of trade finance at UniCredit, however, a number of bank-led collaborative initiatives are addressing the problem, highlighting the ascendancy of industry-wide cooperation as a means of meeting the growing needs of corporate clients.

Click here for the article: Settling the open question: Banks champion collaborative innovation ad corporates shift to open account

Leading footwear company Geox, in partnership with UniCredit, collaborated in an ambitious treasury project to rationalise cash management processes, bank relationships and connectivity across the Group. Federica Vello, Treasury Manager of Geox, explains the thinking behind the project, the challenges and benefits of full implementation, and the impact of this collaborative effort on the wider Group strategy.

Click here for the case study: Simple, Streamlined, Secure: How Geox revamped its treasury

Trade finance is beginning to undergo a potentially dramatic transformation of its secondary market. It's an innovation that will have positive knock-on effects for the entire industry, write Holger Frank, head of global transaction banking (GTB) and financial institutions group (FIG), Asia Pacific, and Siow Chin Yeo, head of trade finance, Asia Pacific, at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Singapore banks unite to grow secondary market for trade finance

UniCredit has started testing with the first pan-European instant payment solution, RT1, in preparation for its instant payments go-live.

Click here for the article: UniCredit prepares for multinational roll-out of instant payments

Although large and multinational corporates tend to grab the trade tech headlines, when it comes to digital trade finance innovation, SMEs not only stand to benefit from digital trade finance tools, but are well placed to help drive wider adoption.

Click here for the article: The power of SMEs: Driving the digital trade finance revolution

SWIFT announces today that 22 additional global banks have joined its blockchain proof of concept (PoC), designed to validate whether the technology can help banks reconcile their international nostro accounts in real time. The PoC is part of the SWIFT gpi (global payments innovation) service, the new standard for cross-border payments.

Click here for the press release: 22 additional global banks join the SWIFT gpi blockchain proof of concept

A convergence of trends in the global trade environment is spurring many transaction banks to action. On a macro scale, a number of previously flourishing regions are seeing reduced demand for trade finance. The use of traditional bank-mediated trade finance instruments such as letters of credit is on the wane while open account transactions wax in lieu. Meanwhile, necessary regulatory and due diligence measures are adding further costs onto many banks' P&L statements.

Click here for the article: Future-Proofing Global Trade - How the transaction banking evolution will benefit businesses

(NYSE: IBM) today announced that it has been selected by a consortium of seven of Europe's largest banks to build and host a new trade finance platform based on IBM Blockchain powered by Hyperledger Fabric. The platform is designed to simplify and facilitate domestic and cross-border trade for small and medium enterprises in Europe, while helping to increase overall trade transaction transparency.

Click here for the press release: Seven Major European Banks Select IBM to Bring Blockchain-Based Trade Finance to Small and Medium Enterprises

Viewing custody and clearing as a commoditised industry could be putting pressure on pricing and threatening the industry, according to speakers at The Network Forum.

Click here for the article: Custody not a commodity

Long a technological backwater, the field sees banks and fintechs scrambling to bring digital systems to international commerce.

Click here for the article: Trade Finance Getting Its E-Legs

Live since January 2017, UniCredit is leveraging SWIFT gpi to deliver an improved international payments service to their clients. 

Read the case study: Case Study

SWIFT announces on May 23 the availability of its new cross-border payments Tracker that enables international payments to be traced in real-time. The Tracker is the cornerstone of SWIFT gpi - the cooperative's new payments innovation service - which is revolutionizing the industry by combining real-time payments tracking with the speed and certainty of same-day settlement for international payments.

Click here for the article: SWIFT unveils industry's first ever cross-border payments tracker

Together, transaction banks and emerging technology companies are ushering in a new era of financial services -bringing new innovations and business models. Yet,seizing the opportunities at hand will require a collaborative and customer-focused approach, say Claudio Camozzo and Jan Kupfer, Global Co-Heads of Global Transaction Banking, UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Banks and fintechs: a collaboration to drive the industry forward

With banks and emerging technology companies bringing a raft of new innovations and business models to the industry, Claudio Camozzo and Jan Kupfer, global co-heads of Global Transaction Banking at UniCredit, argue that bank-fintech collaboration alongside a customer-focused approach is essential to seize - and maximise - the opportunities at hand.

Click here for the article: Bank/fintech collaboration can take transaction banking to new heights

A head of Schwab Ley & Greiner's annual Finanzsymposium, four leading bankers in Germany discussed some of the trends and challenges in transaction banking, moderated by Thomas Schräder, Corporate Treasury Solutions, PwC.

Click here for the article: A New Era of Transaction Banking

One of the most innovative and far-reaching technologies that has emerged in recent years is the Internet of Things (IoT), with its potential to embed communication into industrial and domestic appliances, machines and devices, to send and receive data.

Click here for the article: Linking the Physical, Digital and Financial Worlds: IoT Meets Cash Management

The current environment is compelling transaction banks to re-examine client relationships, improve efficiency and step up innovation to remain competitive. Despite the impetus, it's good news for corporates - as Luca Corsini, Global Head of Trade Finance at UniCredit and new Global GTB Co-Head starting from August, explains - with benefits including fairer pricing, increased digitalisation, and new client-centric solutions based on their specific needs.

Africa continues to grow in importance as a market for European corporates. But while enviable growth rates and positive demographics are generating strong opportunities, corporates and their banking partners still face considerable challenges on the continent due to Africa's cultural diversity and its regulatory and political inconsistencies. Christian Nägele, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa Region at UniCredit, explains how a bespoke approach to international trade is required.

Click here for the article: Global Banking and Finance

A wave of innovation in instant payments is hitting the shores of Europe. Cédric Derras, Global Head of Cash Management at UniCredit, explains how banks and corporates are preparing for the change. The introduction of instant payments is fast approaching the European market. Meeting growing customer demands for faster, more secure and more efficient payments is nevertheless the prize that is now within reach.

Markets in Central and Eastern Europe are an increasingly tempting prospect for UK businesses - boasting enviable growth rates for those that can navigate the challenges of local complexity and counterparty risk. It's a journey made far simpler with the help of digital trade finance tools and local knowledge, explains David Vials, Head of Corporate Coverage for the UK and Ireland at UniCredit...

Click here for the article: FX-MM

Less Risk, more reward: Digital tools can help UK corporates capitalise on CEE potential UK corporates are increasingly looking to capitalise on the remarkable potential of trading with partners in Central and Eastern Europe, but heightened counterparty risk and complex local markets pose considerable challenges.

The key to surmounting these, according to David Vials, Head of Corporate Coverage for UK & Ireland at UniCredit, is using digital tools such as the BPO to mitigate risks, while enlisting the support of a trusted partner to steer a course through regional idiosyncrasies.

Click here for the article: GTR

Pioneer in new initiatives, UniCredit is one of the first banks to use the SWIFT Global Payments Innovation (GPI) service, as announced today by SWIFT.

Along with several global transaction banks such as ABN AMRO, Bank of China, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, Citibank, Danske Bank, DBS Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, ING Bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, Nordea Bank and Standard Chartered Bank, UniCredit is actively using the SWIFTgpi service, exchanging gpi payments across 60 country corridors.

SWIFTgpi enables banks to offer their corporate customers a faster, more transparent and traceable cross-border payments service. This allows banks to provide corporate treasurers with a real-time, end-to-end view on the status of a payment, including a confirmation when a payment has been credited to the beneficiary’s account. Treasurers now also have certainty of remittance information, such as invoice references, which is transferred unaltered.

Read SWIFT's press release: Press Release

Watch the video: SWIFT gpi initiative

Read the brochure: SWIFT gpi

At a media briefing at the Corn Exchange in London today (16 February), Swift elaborated on its gpi.
To support its gpi, Swift presented three banks currently using, and enjoying, gpi. Jan Kupfer from Unicredit, Raouf Soussi at BBVA, and Sergio Dalla Riva from Intesa Sanpaolo all provided praise. Kupfer says gpi's "beauty is it's an existing platform and the system is reliable and well known". Unicredit's implementation, including training, took six months

Click here for the article: Banking Technology

UniCredit has been named “Best Trade Finance Provider” in both Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and in Western Europe by the Euromoney Trade Finance Survey 2017.

The bank also swept the board in the European country awards being named “Best Domestic Trade Finance Provider” in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Turkey. The survey, which received more than 4,000 responses from businesses using trade finance, recognised UniCredit’s excellence in trade finance services.

The bank’s credentials in trade finance are founded on its deep product expertise and its unparalleled market knowledge in its core European markets, which is supplemented by comprehensive coverage through an extensive international network of branches, representative offices and 4,000 correspondent banks.

Click here for the article: UniCredit crowned Best in Europe by Euromoney Trade Finance Survey 2017

A group of seven banks has agreed in principle to develop a ground-breaking shared platform that aims to make domestic and cross-border commerce easier for European small and medium-size (SME) businesses by harnessing the power of distributed ledger technology.

Deutsche Bank, HSBC, KBC, Natixis, Rabobank, Société Générale and UniCredit signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Brussels under which they intend to collaborate on the development and commercialization of a new product called Digital Trade Chain (DTC).

Click here for the article: Seven banks plan Blockchain platform to help European SMEs increase trade

A smooth onboarding process can help build supplier adoption rates for supply chain finance programmes as large corporates look to
focus on working capital management, says Adeline de Metz, Head of Supply Chain Finance Solutions at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Global Banking & Finance Review

The payments world is undergoing a period of radical change, with new technological advances such as blockchain and instant payments promising to enhance the speed, efficiency and security of corporate transactions, says Thomas Dolenga, Head of Cash Management Products.

Stephanie Stanzel, Vice President Commercial at Polytrade, analyses what benefits she sees in using the BPO as an importer and why UniCredit was the right choice for partnership.
The results of the project show, how UniCredit’s spearhead position in BPO transactions and digitisation help satisfy the customers’ needs, providing them with the needed tools and knowledge.
Find out more in the case study, which was also printed in the new treasurer’s guide “Going global, going digital”!

Beside the printed article, Stephanie Stanzel also gave a short video interview, which you can watch here.

Click here for the article: An Importer's View: A Compelling Case for the BPO

UniCredit appoints Luca Corsini as its new global head of trade finance, with immediate effect.
He is now responsible for the development of trade and supply chain finance products, for corporate clients and financial institutions at UniCredit.
Moreover, Elena Belli has been appointed as head of global transaction banking business management.

Click here for the article: GTR - Corsini joins UniCredit

New technology companies looking to break into the financial services sector are bringing fresh competition for banks – prompting a new era of digital innovation. But how can banks take advantage of this innovation and stay ahead of the competition?

Click here for the artictle: Asian Banking & Finance

The project with Geox is a flagship example of how UniCredit co-operates with the client, enabling it to operate successfully in today’s demanding global treasury scene. It is also a testament to how clients can leverage from UniCredit’s strong international network. Find out more in the case study, which was also printed in the new treasurer’s guide "Going global, going digital"!

Click here for the article: Improving performance through treasury innovation at Geox 

Raphael Barisaac discusses how far digitization of trade finance has come.

Click here for the article: Turning the ship around

UniCredit's Gianfranco Bisagni discusses how digitalisation of trade finance is being used to overcome cost pressures and the handicap of paper-based processes.

Click here for the article: Advancing the digital agenda

A "must read" for every treasurer. With the introducing article by Co-Head of CIB, Gianfranco Bisagni on the challenges for corporates going abroad, a contribution by GTB's Global Co-Heads, Claudio Camozzo and Jan Kupfer, on the relationship with FinTechs in transaction banking, and many more articles on the trends and developments in the market.

Click here for the E-Book: Going Global, Going Digital - The New Treasurer's Guide

The emergence of new financial technology companies is having a profound effect on the transaction services industry. First greeted with caution by banks wary of disintermediation, fintechs are now increasingly viewed as potential partners.

Click here for the article: Fintechs and banks: From competition to collaboration

Though often discussed in terms of the benefits to exporters, BPOs are a strong option for corporates in many situations. Polytrade's experience using BPOs as an importer stands as proof of this.

It is vital for both corporates and banks to embrace the BPO as a pillar of their digitalization strategy for trade finance. The BPO can play a symbolic role in this process - acting as a beacon for future efforts to increase digitalization and decrease risk in trade finance.

The practice of correspondent banking faces pressure from mounting costs associated with due diligence in trade finance, yet banks are well placed to see off these challenges through a number of collaborative solutions, says Alex Ladaa, managing director and head of trade finance services, Germany, at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: What does the future hold for correspondent banking?

Significant shifts in trade flows over the past few years have led to greater levels of volatility and risk for those trading with the emerging markets. As a result, corporates are looking for risk mitigation in these regions, but greater levels of digitalization and collaboration are required to help banks provide trade finance safely and efficiently, says Katharina Michael, UniCredit head of trade finance sales, Germany, at UniCredit.

An Executive Interview with George Stein, Head of Global Transaction Banking, UK, UniCredit. UniCredit has a major strategic emphasis on global transaction banking, which includes leveraging our foreign branches to build out trade finance business and meet the international needs and aspirations of our customers.

Click here for the article: Boosting Transaction Banking in London

Increasing emphasis on risk management and asset protection is putting a strain on due diligence processes for depositary banks – leading to time and cost pressures. The key to relieving these pressures lies in establishing a set of common industry standards for due diligence questionnaires, says Susanna Scheffold, global head of securities services at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Common Standards are Critical for Depositary Banks to meet due Diligence Demands

Global banks aren't late to the digital party, according to George Stein, UniCredit's head of global transaction banking for the UK. They were managing big data when fintech was still in nappies. They're just figuring out what next to do with it

Click here for the article: The Big daddies of Big Data

Conscious of the need to drive profitability through internal efficiencies, international corporates are looking to Asia as a location for centralising their treasury activities. At the same time, Asian countries, including Singapore and Hong Kong, are offering tax concessions and other incentives in a bid to lure in business, says Holger Frank, Head of FIG and GTB Asia Pacific region at UniCredit.

Despite data-gathering difficulties squeezing margins, there is reason to be optimistic about the future of correspondent banking - with collaborative initiatives and technological advances promising to restore the practice to full profitability, says Alex Ladaa, Managing Director and Head of Trade Finance Services, Germany, at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Trade Finance: The enduring strength of correspondent banking

TFR talks to Claudio Camozzo at the IFC global trade partners meeting in Milan about underlying contract support for clients in challenging geographies

Despite murmurs hinting at the demise of correspondent banking, the practice is still very much alive and well. Careful strategy, however, is essential for banks to overcome the growing challenges posed by the complexity and costliness of financing international trade, says Michael Germann.

Following on from the final implementation of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) in 2014, Europe is now set for another payments overhaul, as banks work to answer the ECB's call for a standardised pan-European instant payments system by November 2017.

Click here for the article: Instant Payments: The next Step Towards a Harmonised Europe

GTR and the ITFA Young Professionals network hosted a roundtable in January to discuss technology and innovation, measures to attract more young talent to the business and participants' advice for the industry, among other topics relating to the future of trade finance.

Digitalisation has already given rise to a number of valuable tools designed to raise the speed, safety, and efficiency of treasury operations. And as new technology companies encroach on the transaction banking market, competition is triggering further innovation – promising an exciting future for corporate treasurers.

Click here for the article: How Digital Technology is Transforming Treasury

International companies from mid-caps through to the largest multinational corporations (MNCs) have always looked at markets in Asia as an attractive location for executing low-cost, routine processes, while keeping their corporate activities closer to their global headquarters. But 15 years ago, the technology and expense involved in setting up a regional treasury center (RTC) in Asia meant that only the largest MNCs were willing and able to bear the cost.

Click here for the article: Why Asia offers fertile ground for regional treasury centers

In GTB, we are not only a leader in technology and digitization but also when it comes to the trade press. This is underpinned by more than 120 articles, statements and press releases in 2015. From the impact of digitization on trade finance to working capital optimization, from case studies with clients such as Menarini and Moneygram to the increasing sophistication of Asian treasurers – a selection of UniCredit articles published in 2015 in the international trade press.

Click here for the article: From BPO to Virtual Accounts

There is little doubt that big data has much to offer banks and corporates alike in the transaction services sector. Spectacular results have already emerged elsewhere, and, with the right investment – and responsible handling of data – firms will see similar awards across their entire business, says Sebastian Hölker, Head of Structuring and Implementation of SCF products at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Do everything better with big data

The onset of digitalisation has been accompanied by a shake-up in the transaction services market – with new technology fostering competition and innovation, says Alfredo Bresciani, Head of Trade Finance International Sales at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Competition Fuelling Innovation in Transaction Services

New digital tools hold the key to unlocking operational efficiencies without over-burdening treasurers, says Alfredo Bresciani, head of trade finance international sales at UniCredit.

Digitalization brings both challenges and opportunities for banks. On the one hand, it brings technology that can help them revolutionize their services to corporate clients; on the other, it brings the threat of disintermediation at the hands of new market entrants. To see off this threat and seize the opportunities, banks must develop innovative solutions for corporate challenges and promote robust, progressive, regulation for this new technology, says Alfredo Bresciani, head of trade finance international sales at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Time To Innovate: Banks Must Face Up To The Digital Challenge

As firms seek greater efficiency in their treasury operations, refining cash management processes is becoming a priority for corporate treasurers. For many, the obvious move is to centralise treasury functions and reduce the number of bank accounts held. With this goal in mind, firms are looking to adopt payment-on-behalf-of (POBO) and collection-on-behalf-of (COBO) structures, which see a central account issue and receive payments for a number of subsidiary accounts.

Click here for the article: Virtual accounts: Capitalising on POBO and COBO

For banks, navigating the demands of KYC and KYT can be a challenge. Especially for smaller banks, compliance can take up vital time and resources. Cooperation is the way forward – with communal data repositories and clearing services playing a decisive role, according to Michele Gentile, Head of FI Clearing Sales at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: KYC and KYT: Banking on cooperation

Financing receivables can often prove an arduous administrative exercise for corporates, requiring them to deal with a number of different buyers in order to sell an entire portfolio. Yet the days of such troubles may soon be at an end, as banks, factors and insurers work to create a single, syndicated buyer for entire receivables portfolios.

Click here for the article: Receivables Financing: Eliminating the Pain for Treasurers

When one of the world’s leading money transfer companies sought out a banking partner to optimise its European business, a priority was to master the regulatory landscape of SEPA and the technology of XML. Another was to ensure the right geographic coverage for US-based business reaching out into new markets. Botond Vincze, global account manager for UniCredit, and Preston Moerke, director, senior treasury manager at MoneyGram, explain why it took very little time for the companies to realise that they were a perfect fit for each other.

Reprinted from: www.the-financedirector.com

From its launch in 2007, uptake of the BPO was initially slow. Over the past year or so, adoption has increased dramatically, with several ‘first’ transactions in Europe and Asia, many of which were driven by UniCredit. The BPO offers many advantages, but as yet, there remains a lack of education of the instrument and its value. Voted the most important recent innovation in trade by respondents to a survey at SIBOS 2014, it is a tool with the potential to bring unprecedented levels of risk mitigation and automation in trade transactions, whilst opening the door to a range of financing options and improving balance-sheet fundamentals such as days payable outstanding (DPO) and days sales outstanding (DSO).

 Click here for the article: Making the Case for BPOs

This year at Sibos Singapore 2015, innovation was in the somewhat hazy air and the industry had moved on from complaining about regulation to making it part of business as usual. More than 8000 delegates descended from all over the world attending more than 250 sessions to understand more about how burnings issues could make or break their business.  Sibos is going very well for us, we focus the attention on two topics, first of course business and the second is digital, says Gianfranco Bisagni, Deputy Head of Corporate and Investment Banking at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: From Skypark to Blue Sky

Much has been made of “Industry 4.0” and its potential to revolutionise the way manufacturing firms operate. Yet this same technology has far-reaching implications for many other fields – not least trade finance, where it brings opportunities for greater connectivity, better-informed strategy and improved process efficiency and risk mitigation, says Sebastian Hölker, head of structuring and implementation of SCF products at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Trade Finance 4.0: A world of New Opportunities

With KYC and KYT pressures threatening to consume considerable amounts of their time and resources, banks must draw together to find a solution.
Collaboration on clearing services and communal data repositories holds the key, says Michele Gentile, head of FI clearing sales at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Rising To The Challenge of KYC and KYT

Digitalization is defined as the transformation of traditional financial products and services into easy-to-integrate electronic processes. UniCredit´s white paper outlines how digitalization is driving corporates and banks to adopt new services and technologies, which are changing the ways in which they interact.

Click here for the article: Digitalization: The transformation of transaction banking - Internet Explorer 8

Click here for the article: Digitalization: The transformation of transaction banking

Leading steel and mining company, ArcelorMittal, which has a market presence in more than 60 countries globally, has a culture of quality and innovation that extends across the business, including its treasury and finance processes. As a result, ArcelorMittal was as an early adopter of SWIFT, and is now working with partner banks to take the next steps in achieving harmonised, streamlined, automated financial processing.

Click here for the article: Pioneering Bank Communication and Process Automation

When bank regulators create new compliance rules, banks' clients—i.e., corporate treasury departments—inevitably feel the impact as well, says Michele Gentile, Head of FI Clearing Sales for UniCredit.

Click here for the article: KYC and KYT: Treasurers and Banks Must Collaborate

Click here for the article: Global securities services: Risk requires adaptability and expertise

The BPO is a compelling settlement tool. But how can corporates harness its potential? It’s a question of finding a strong business case and a committed set of partners that can offer support at every stage – starting with internal stakeholders and moving right through to corporate counterparties and banks, says Herbert Hertnagel, Head of Financial Risk Management at ZF Friedrichshafen AG.

GTR and BNY Mellon gathered together a group of Italian transaction bankers in Verona to discuss the evolution of the trade and payments industry. UniCredit was represented by Francesco Gabriele Lucchese, Head of Trade Products & Services.

“Forfaiting is one of the most important instruments to unleash trapped liquidity” says Markus Wohlgeschaffen, Global Head of Trade Products at UniCredit.

Italian bank UniCredit has completed a bank payment obligation (BPO) deal for Italian importer M&G Polimeri Italia SpA.

Click here for the article: UniCredit completes BPO for M&G Polimeri Italia SpA

Having announced the first Bank Payment Obligation (BPO) deal in Italy on 27 February 2015, UniCredit Corporate & Investment Banking has followed this up with a deferred BPO for another Italian corporate.

Click here for the article: UniCredit completes deferred BPO deal between M&G Polimeri Italia and BP

Corporates looking to sell their whole receivables portfolio often fail to find a holistic solution, with different financing partners interested in different parts of the portfolio. As such, covering the complete portfolio can be a time-consuming task. Collaboration – between banks, factors and insurers – promises a better option, says Sebastian Hölker, head of Structuring and Implementation of Supply Chain Finance Products at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Collaboration promises a one-stop-shop solution for all receivables

In August 2014, companies throughout the euro zone became compliant with the payment stipulations of the Single Euro Payments Area. Companies operating within the EU but outside the euro zone have until October 2016 to make the move. Can they learn from the experience of companies that have gone before them? Yes, says Fernando Santini, vice-president of cash management sales at UniCredit in Italy. Enel is one example.

Click here for the article: Energy and synergy: how Enel cleared the hurdles of SEPA migration

Adoption of bank payment obligation (BPO) – the digitalized, bank issued letters of credit (LCs) – has so far been slow, but Asia could pave the way for the wider use of the global payment instrument.

Click here for the article: Asia may pave the way for faster BPO adoption

The role of treasurers has long been expanding. Once purely financial, it now includes a significant strategic component. Treasurers must take heed of this new responsibility - embracing a fresh arsenal of digital tools and leading their firms to growth in new markets, says Markus Straußfeld, Head of Cash Management International Sales at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Treasuries must lead the charge for growth overseas

For a long time, corporates have had difficulties financing their entire receivables portfolios, at least when they didn’t fit into large-scale securitisation programmes. Collaboration between banks and existing factor-insurer partnerships promises to finally put an end to this problem, says Sebastian Hölker, Head of Structuring and Implementation of Supply Chain Finance Products at UniCredit.

As trade, information and technology flows increase between Asian corporates and foreign counterparties, greater sophistication is taking root throughout Asian treasury departments, says  KK Tay, Head of GTB Asia at UniCredit.

Asian corporates have grown on the back of their trade links. This is a well-known narrative, but will it continue? Or should the region’s enterprises look at new ways to stimulate future growth?

Click here for the article: Next-Generation Treasury Management: One Key to Continued Asian Growth

Treasury departments stand on the brink of a transformative year. Markus Straussfeld, Head of Cash Management International Sales, and Alfredo Bresciani, Head of Trade Finance International Sales, at UniCredit, discuss how new digital processes are the key to achieving the scalability and risk management required to meet the near-future’s challenges and opportunities.

CEE is still highly heterogeneous when it comes to the state of development of its capital markets or post trading infrastructure. Some countries have quite a long way to go. Read more on what these countries have to work on in order to increase operational efficiency and stay competitive.

Click here for the article: CEE Update: Where is the Network Management Industry at in Central and Eastern Europe?

Thomas Dusch, Head of Trade Finance International Sales Germany, UniCredit, about some of the trends he is seeing in the way that trade finance and working capital  financing solutions are being used by European corporates. 

“We are totally convinced of UniCredit” says our client ZF Friedrichshafen (ZF). Watch the video

UniCredit supported Menarini Group with the implementation of a successful cash pooling solution in CEE. 

New digital processes are vital to improving scalability and risk management – helping corporates meet 2015’s challenges and rise to its opportunities, say Markus Straußfeld, Head of cash management international sales, and Alfredo Bresciani, Head of trade finance international sales, UniCredit.

“Digitization will change the way banks are interacting with smaller clients”, says GTB co-head Ernst Ohmayer in a video interview with The Banker, where he shared his view on SEPA, the impact of digitization on banks and clients and the future for Bank Payment Obligation (BPO).

Click here to watch the video: Digitization will change the way banks are interacting with clients

Luca Piccione, KYC Registry project manager at UniCredit, and Fabrizio Bottani, Head of the CIB ‘Know Your Customer Italy’ Team at UniCredit, discuss how the KYC Registry from SWIFT eliminates redundant data collection and validation processes, while ensuring banks, like UniCredit, retain control of their own data and who can access it.

Click here for the article: UniCredit joins the KYC Registry to promote community-led innovation

SWIFT newsletter with links to articles on first BPO in Italy.

Click here for the article: Corporates and Supply Chains on SWIFT - Q2 Newsletter 2015

China’s response to the SWIFT international payments system should bring good news for corporate treasurers with lower costs and more efficient settlement of transactions in renminbi. Read more about this issue in the article by Jürgen Lutz, head of cash management Asia-Pacific at UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Launch of the China International Payments System

Corporates who have yet to move to SEPA-compliant payment formats can reduce the headaches of their SEPA transition by learning from Enel’s example, says Fernando Santini, Vice President of cash management sales at UniCredit in Italy.

Click here for the article: Learning from the experience of SEPA migration

As weak growth in the country’s economy dampens domestic demand for Italy’s corporates, many are looking abroad for growth. Here, the adoption of new, digitalised payments processes can make a critical difference in opening up new capital for investment and streamlining expansion. Read more about this issue in the article by Cédric Derras, Head of Cash Management International Sales at UniCredit in Italy.

Click here for the article: Italian Businesses Seek Scalability and Efficiency for Growth

Conditions are perfect for corporates to improve efficiency in their working capital programmes, says Thomas Dusch, Head of Trade Finance International Sales Germany at UniCredit. Read more on this topic.

The experience of Italian energy giant Enel provides a strong example of the SEPA-compliance process for companies needing to meet the new standard by October 2016, says Fernando Santini, vice-president of cash management sales at UniCredit in Italy.

Click here for the article: Enel’s SEPA migration: overcoming the barriers to European harmony

UniCredit has completed the first bank payment obligation (BPO) in Italy to replace an open account transaction in an existing buyer-supplier relationship.

Click here for the article: First BPO in Italy to replace open account

Making all costs transparent to the client is the base for a trusting relationship between the bank and the client. The “Bank Services Billing initiative” is an opportunity to get an overview of all bank charges. Read more about this issue in the article by Jérôme Cavaliero, Head of Cash Management France, UniCredit CIB France.

An executive interview with Thomas Dolenga, Global Head of Product Development Cash Management, UniCredit Bank AG. Thomas gives an insight into the impact of SEPA and Basel III, as well as the importance of technology innovations in the changing market and regulatory landscape.

A discussion on the current themes and challenges facing the trade and forfaiting market from the point of view of the next generation of trade financiers. Young professionals talk about the great issue regulations, cost of compliance, and the importance of technology.

Click here for the article: The “Young Professionals in Trade Finance & Forfaiting” initiative – Paving The Way

Like many companies, SEPA migration was a priority for Pirelli between 2012 and 2014. However, while many companies treated SEPA primarily as a compliance project, Pirelli took the opportunity to centralize and optimize payments processing, not only at a European level but globally. In this article, Luca Nava, Head of Cash Management and Treasury Back Office, discusses the rationale, solutions, and outcomes of the project so far.

Click here for the article: Building a Global Payments Factory at Pirelli

Intercompany and external collaboration is key to a successful cash-pooling project.Finance Director Europe catches up with Christian Duder, Constantia Industries’ head of group treasury, to discuss how such a project was executed involving internal treasury teams across five countries and the external banking partner, UniCredit.

Stay tuned to the latest news on SWIFT. Read more on UniCredit's successes in the Bank Payment Obligation (BPO) business and watch our How-To Video and find out how BPOs work.

Click here for the article: Supply Chain on SWIFT - Autumn 2014 Newsletter

Get your "Gateway throughout Europe" – a treasurer's guide to UniCredit's home markets.The guide was produced in cooperation with tmi magazine and is a combination of interviews with UniCredit experts, case studies, an economic outlook for the CEE region, an overview about GTB's products and services as well as our offer available in those countries where we are present with domestic banks. This guide is the sequel to "The Treasury Manager's Guide to the Heart of Europe", published by us some years ago, which we are pleased to have seen develop into a reference publication within the industry.

Click here for the article: Gateway throughout Europe – A treasurer's guide to Western, Central and Eastern Europe

In challenging markets, strong relationships between corporates and their banking partners are proving the difference between success and failure. Crucially, transaction banking suppliers must be able to provide corporates more than only efficient payments, with advisory services becoming increasingly important in regions such as Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

Short-term worries over the Chinese economy should not cloud the fact that Beijing’s gradual, long-term aim of increasing the international usage of the renminbi and reducing the country’s reliance on the dollar. Read more about Kok-Keong Tay’s view, Head of GTB Asia, UniCredit.

Click here for the article: Renminbi: The Dragon Has Stirred

Telecomunicazioni Wind is one of the largest telecoms players based in Italy. Given the diversity of payments models in the country, the co-ordinating efforts of UniCredit have been instrumental to the success of Wind’s SEPA project. Read more from Giuseppe Verdicchio (Wind) on the close and fruitful cooperation between Wind and UniCredit.

Dr. Ernst Ohmeyer (Co-Head of Global Transaction Banking, UniCredit) and Markus Straußfeld (Head of International Cash Management Sales, UniCredit) on challenges and opportunities that new regulations such as SEPA and Basel III can cause for banks and corporates.

The trade finance market is at an exciting crossroads, and opportunities abound. For instance, the barriers to trade are falling in places they have stood for decades. In China, we are seeing impressive growth in the adoption of RMB (renminbi) by international exporters, and we expect this will be a game changer in the market.

Click here for the article: Trade & Supply Chain Finance - Special Report 2014

An interview with Cristina Del Mastro Calvetti, head of Product and Network Management, Global Transaction Banking in Milan, for UniCredit Spa, on initiatives taken by the Italian bank toward the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA).

Click here for the article: A Customer-Focused Approach To SEPA

Leading international specialist car warranty company CG Car-Garantie Versicherungs-AG (CarGarantie) has substantial operations across Europe, including both euro and non-euro countries. In 2011, treasury recognised the substantial cost savings that SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) offered to CarGarantie as an international business with a high volume of cross-border flows. By establishing a close, pragmatic relationship with UniCredit, the company has been able to fulfil its cash and treasury management objectives within the mandatory SEPA timescales.

Centralisation can create efficiencies for some elements of global supply chains, yet this shouldn’t be at the expense of local expertise, says Sebastian Hölker, head of innovative trade products at UniCredit.

Many assume that globalised supply chains come hand-in-hand with the centralisation of management processes. But this doesn’t make sense for all aspects of the supply chain, and in a globalised economy, local expertise is increasingly important and each supply chain needs to be approached according to their individual characteristics, argues Sebastian Hölker, Head of Innovative Trade Products at UniCredit.

Some aspects of a global supply chain can be more efficient when centralized, but supply chain managers should not underestimate the benefits of local expertise, say UniCredit’s Sebastian Hölker, Head of Innovative Trade Products, and Oliver Spitz, Senior Trade Finance Manager.

After years of uncertainty, SEPA migration has finally taken off. But, as one important milestone is achieved, policymakers, banks and corporate treasurers are asking what comes next. Finance Director Europe talks to Markus Straußfeld, Head of International Cash Management Sales at UniCredit, about generating value above and beyond migration, and what’s next for the concept of single payment areas.

Bank Payment Obligations have the potential to save corporates time and money, yet take-up has been slow since they were created in 2007. Oliver Spitz, Senior Trade Finance Manager at UniCredit, explains why more corporates are waking up to the benefits of BPOs.