Calyon soars higher
By Enid Chen
Photos by Yao Fan


Name: Mr. Chen Guang
Nationality: Chinese
Position: President of Calyon of Xiamen Branch

Credit Agricole acquired 100% of Credit Lyonnais through a friendly public offer in June 2003. Following the merger, Calyon Corporate and Investment Bank, a new business name that perfectly translates the combination of the two parent brands, came into being on April 30, 2004. Calyon is the result of the combination of Credit Agricole Indosuez and Credit Lyonnais' BFI international investment banking business. It is now a major player in the financial markets and is one of Europe's leading financing and investment banking companies. The new bank has an AA rating in the world. Calyon China provides conventional banking products and a broad range of value-added products.

法国东方汇理银行于1991年成为中国第一批获得全面银行业务执照的外资银行. 2003年, 法国农业信贷集团(Credit Agricole)成功合并法国里昂信贷银行, 合并后的法国农业信贷集团成为国际金融界的又一翘楚. 在两家集团投资银行和国际业务的基础上, 于2004年4月成立了一家新的国际银行Calyon Corporate and Investment Bank, 中文名称保留法国东方汇理银行.

本月起, 外资金融机构在厦获准经营人民币业务, 据法国东方汇理银行厦门分行行长陈光透露, 该行目前尚未正式申请此项业务, 但也在为此积极地准备.

Getting ready for RMB business in Xiamen

Q: In accordance with China's World Trade Organization commitments, Xiamen is opening RMB business to foreign-funded banks December this year. Are there any plans in Xiamen in terms of business expansion for Calyon?
A: Up to now, Calyon can provide RMB service to its customers in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjing, Fuzhou, and so on. Upon the total completion of the merge, we will make our decision about applying for the RMB license in Xiamen.

Q: What are your suggestions for the development of the banking industry in Xiamen?
A: The banking and financial industry has much to do with the central government's policies. Xiamen's current economic hinterland is not fully extended. It should expand its economic hinterland to cover the Golden Delta of South Fujian Province and create a "one-hour economic zone", which means the circumjacent cities can be reached within one hour, thereby enhancing its opportunities and attractiveness to businesses. It is also conductive to its establishment as a regional headquarters for various foreign banks. Sub-branches can therefore be located in circumjacent cities such as Quanzhou and Zhangzhou.

Calyon's strategy in China

Q: So far, how many Calyon branches are there in China? What is the role that China plays in Calyon's global strategy?
A: We set up the first branch in Xiamen in July 1989. Up to date, there are another four branches in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Tianjin respectively. In Asia, China is the country with the largest number of branches. In the short term, our strategy in China will still focus on providing financial products and services for the multi-national corporate clients and large Chinese state owned enterprises (SOEs) as well as big private corporate clients. We also provide project finance, structured assets finance, trading finance, and other professional banking services to our global customers and local partners. However, in the long run, China is definitely one of the most significant countries for Calyon's global strategy since China's economy is booming and there is great potential to be tapped here.

Q: What kind of impact will the merger of Calyon exert on Xiamen's branch?
A: After this merger, the consolidated group will rank the second in the world by the tier one capital and the fourth in terms of total assets. It exerts little impact on Xiamen's branch, except for the change of its name.

Q: Quite a large number of foreign banks are making alliances with local banks. Does Calyon have any intention of making investments with them?
A: We are actually very keen on partnering up with the Chinese banks. We have relationships and networks with many Chinese banks and we know them very well. We have some business with them. It is something we are very interested in doing.

Q: Calyon is a well- managed and well-capitalized banking organization. What are its advantages compared with other competitors?
A: As being one of the top five banks in terms of total assets in the world, the new group will have a full and consistent range of corporate & investment banking products and services. We have set up a complementary network with stronger positions of our group in every country. Our extended customer base will have great potential growth. The alliance of our two banks has strongly reinforced our core business: Project Finance, Acquisition Finance, Telecom Finance, Assets Finance, Syndication, Trading Finance and Capital market.

Personal management style

Q: What do you think are the most important qualifications for a top manager in the banking industry?
A: Well, there are several things that count. Above all, as a top manager in the banking industry, one should always bear risks in mind when making decisions. Monitoring and managing the emerging risks is an essential part of banking.
Second, being creative is also crucial. The banking industry landscape is changing at a fast pace. New ranges of financial products and services are being created constantly to meet the needs of the consumers. All this requires the ability to innovate and create new ideas.
Thirdly, as a top manager, you should be able to find the right person for the right position, rather than waste one's talent on a petty job or bite off more than one can chew. The banking sector requires the employees to be hypersensitive to figures. If not, they can hardly do their work well, as this ability cannot be formed in one day.

Q: As for the training of the employees, what is Calyon China's usual practice?
A: Although the turnover rate of employees is relatively high in some foreign companies, training still plays an important role. One of Calyon China's usual practices is to recruit graduates from universities and provide on-the-job training because it is easier to shape them into the staff members that meet the needs of the company through our own training.