Standard Chartered – winning for clients in Asia, Africa and the Middle East

Even Standard Chartered's group chief executive, Peter Sands, calls its business strategy ‘boring' amid exciting markets. Standard Chartered has operated in the Asian markets for 150 years, gaining a solid reputation for being a conservative and safe bank across its consumer and wholesale banking businesses. But, in a new world order of uncertainty and risk-aversion, it is this boring strategy that has allowed Standard Chartered to reap the rewards. Staying quietly focused in the world's fastest-growing markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East even as others were wavering, Standard Chartered was able to attract clients away from its competitors and continue to build on its businesses. Its success can be seen in its results for 2009.