TFR AWARDS 2010 Best Trade Services Provider BEST TRADE SERVICES PROVIDER UniCredit Austria, Germany, Italy and Poland, as well BNY Mellon Gold: UniCredit as CEE where we have a direct presence. RBS Silver: BNY Mellon So, the original development was aimed at Others Bronze: RBS satisfying client needs in these markets,” says 2009 winner: BNY Mellon Wohlgeschaffen, such as data format standards peculiar to the German banking system. hile some groups may dominate “We recognise that we have to adapt our 23% the trade services market globally, product to the needs of different customers. 28% W there are many major banking We can offer both easy-to-use standard groups with equally well-regarded trade products, as well as tailor-made solutions. We services offerings. UniCredit’s Gold Award haven’t developed the software by ourselves. reflects the number of votes it received from Instead, we have partnered with software 24% clients across its core markets in Europe. providers and partner banks to find the ‘best- 25% UniCredit’s focus on selected of-breed solutions’ and embedded them into main markets in Europe, says Markus our e-banking platform,” says Wohlgeschaffen. Wohlgeschaffen, Head of Global Trade UniCredit may compete with other FIs Finance and Services at UniCredit Group in some countries, but it also enjoys cordial present, we can serve customers’ international in Munich, enables it to offer products relations with them. “We don’t pretend to be a business better, combining profound product much more in tune with local corporates’ global bank with a worldwide branch-network. know-how with flexible IT-solutions and a needs. “Our so called ‘core’ markets are But we believe that in markets where we are dense network of correspondent banks.” Best Bank for Supply Chain Finance large global corporate deals, the competitive Gold: Wells Fargo BEST BANK FOR SUPPLY landscape has not changed very much, except CHAIN FINANCE Silver: UniCredit for a continued decline in competition from Bronze: BNY Mellon third-party technology providers that try to ally Wells Fargo 2009 winner: BNY Mellon to a variety of banks,” he adds. UniCredit Following the crisis, corporates have been BNY Mellon t takes something particular special to win Others looking more closely at supply chain finance the Award for Best Bank for Supply Chain and Wells Fargo has benefited as a result, even I Finance from BNY Mellon, but since Wells as conditions ease. “We have seen a consistent Fargo’s merger with Wachovia, the bank rise in demand for working capital solutions by has been gaining traction across the world, large corporations. In 2009, we saw a gradual particularly in supply chain finance. easing of credit conditions that has continued 22% “We find that there are really only one or to accelerate throughout 2010, particularly for 37% two global competitors in this business that do investment-grade clients,” says Roberts. buyer-sponsored supply chain finance, as well The rise in demand for supply chain 16% as a suite of off-balance sheet, seller-focused finance has been driven by other factors, too. In receivables purchase solutions,” says Stuart 2010, this has been partly due to US regulations 25% Roberts, Managing Director and Head of covering the securitisation of receivables, which Supply Chain Finance at Wells Fargo. has encouraged corporates to seek liquidity “We have seen more country and regional through more straightforward receivables sales players emerge, but generally in the very structures, according to Roberts. www.tfreview.com 39.