Standard Chartered
Since 1863, Standard Chartered has consistently brought the world to Pakistan’s lively economy. As fate would have it, the bank’s 150th year as a financial bridge to the south Asian market is proving to be among the toughest.
The Pakistani rupee is gyrating wildly as IMF technocrats assess the damage and scramble to avert a default that might unnerve the entire region. As events unfold, StanChart, the largest and oldest international bank in Pakistan, finds itself on the front lines.
Led by chief executive Rehan Shaikh, the bank claims to be a vital partner in economic growth and development in the world’s fifth-most populous country. The firm’s 41 branches and big digital presence in Pakistan often put it in a position to help with internationalizing the local market.
These days, nowhere is that truer than with environmental, social and governance issues.
Short-term volatility is not dampening the bank’s efforts on the sustainability and impact-investing front, nor its efforts to tackle inequality and promote greater inclusion through its Futuremakers by Standard Chartered initiative.