Management consultants are as famed for their work ethic as for their innovative ideas. But the strain of working long hours and spending long periods away from home at clients’ offices takes its toll. Consulting firms lose anything between 15% and 40% of their consultants every year.

“What surprised me when I became minister of finance was that we had the debt situation, but nobody wanted to talk about it. We need to first explain how we got into this position before we can talk about how we will get out of it.”

Germany is the European market that most excites foreign banks seeking new wealth management business. But a few local players still dominate a market that should be ripe for internationalization. Mark Brown reports.

Nicolás Aguzín’s appointment as chairman of JPMorgan’s Latin American franchise heralds a new strategy in the region. Gone is the big picture approach; now the emphasis is on getting the nitty-gritty right and building long and lasting corporate relationships. Felix Salmon reports.

Many of the most attractive banking assets in emerging Europe have already been bought. Acquirers must look further east for their next target. But investment bankers are already thinking of the next big play – a global bank trying to buy a presence across the region. Sudip Roy reports.

Last month’s cover story received a lot of feedback. It seems sell side is in a state of flux and running scared of algorithmic trading.

The Czech Republic’s PPF Group, which owns Home Credit and insurer Ceska Pojistovna, has managed to achieve top three positions in all of its countries of operation and with limited need for international financing. Now, the previously inwardly focused group has finally begun to let outsiders in. Kathryn Wells reports.

UK activist hedge fund The Children’s Investment Fund (TCI), famous for its successful campaign against Deutsche Börse, shook up Hong Kong’s collegiate corporate world with announcements that it had built up stakes in two of the territory’s corporate elite.

Private banks are enjoying a period of growth as financial markets improve and global wealth increases. Long-term success will lie in offering a broader range of products linked to investment banking, while ensuring the high levels of service that clients now demand. Euromoney reports on the drivers of success in its annual survey.

Telecom Egypt kick-started the Egyptian government’s privatization programme by completing the biggest IPO from the Middle East and North African region in 2005 in December.

It was set up by private bankers. It is run by private bankers, and it is built around private bankers. The brightest talents are flocking to it. Does EFG International have the model to take wealth management by storm? Peter Lee investigates.

JPMorgan, Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse First Boston and Royal Bank of Scotland are underwriting €10.2 billion of debt financing for the purchase of Danish phone company TDC, Europe’s biggest ever leveraged buyout.