As the ISO 20022 transformation gathers pace, this instalment in our series examines the vast technology investments and system upgrades banks have made to realise its full potential. We track the readiness journeys of JPMorgan Payments, Citi, BNY, Scotiabank, Lloyds and BNP Paribas.

RBC Wealth Management's unique expertise, innovative solutions and client-centric approach make it the leader in private banking in Canada. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of banking, investment, trust and wealth management solutions, overseeing more than C$4.2 trillion ($2.92 trillion) in total assets under administration and more than C$1.2 trillion in assets under management, as of the end of September 2024. Private wealth clients are supported by a dedicated team of over 6,200 financial consultants, advisers, private bankers and trust officers.

With a commitment to excellence, innovation and client-centric wealth management, Credicorp Capital continues to demonstrate outstanding market leadership, bespoke financial solutions, and dedication to building lasting client relationships.

By combining innovation, client-focused solutions and a global perspective, Scotia Wealth Management is the leader in international private banking.

A new award for Euromoney in 2025 sees our analysts and our external judges – the latter, a group of veteran private bankers and wealth managers around the world – rule on the best provider of funds services for wealthy clients.

Scotia Wealth Management has long been a leading provider in the financial services industry, delivering world-class wealth management solutions with a deep understanding of the needs of high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) individuals and families.

Scotia Wealth Management has further established itself as Jamaica’s premier international private bank over the review period.

Tourism is central to the economy of the Bahamas and the country continued to recover from the pandemic-enforced lockdowns with strong GDP growth of more than 4% in 2023. Scotiabank’s business in the country similarly continues to improve from the Covid years and, in 2023, the bank achieved its highest profitability for 15 years with net income of $70.3 million, up by almost 46% year on year. The bank’s management attributes this to a range of initiatives executed in previous years, such as the branch network optimization strategy and revenue enhancement strategies to progressively lower operating costs and boost revenues.

Scotiabank has long championed a variety of environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities in its business and considers walking the talk to be crucial in its home region. For its continued commitment to doing things right, Scotiabank is North America’s best bank for corporate responsibility.

Scotiabank is delivering on the promise of its 2018 acquisition of BBVA’s bank in Chile by consolidating its position as the third-largest private sector bank and is now closing in on second place. The bank closed 2023 with a 14% market share and, according to Fitch Ratings, the best risk rating in the industry. In Chile, Scotiabank enjoyed the highest income growth in the financial system. A combination of fierce cost control and increased digital penetration enabled the bank to generate a 41% efficiency ratio and significant savings. The other side of the balance sheet was also strong: revenues grew 10%. The bank’s operating income grew 9% and its return on equity rose to 12.3%.

When Scotiabank’s long-serving chief executive Brian Porter stepped down at the end of January 2023, after 10 years at the helm and more than 40 years at the bank, he left an institution that was in better shape than he found it, but one that still had much to do.

With economic growth softening in Trinidad and Tobago – this year GDP is expected to come in at 2.2% compared to 2.5% in 2023 – Scotiabank continues to outperform other banks in the local market. Led by country manager Gayle Pazos, Scotiabank’s focus on digital transformation saw improvements in its platform relating to accessibility upgrades and security enhancements. The significant investment from the bank in this area over the past three years is helping to deliver efficiency and, in turn, stronger financial results.

The bank’s 10-year ScotiaRise programme has gone from strength to strength, reaching out to indigenous communities and aligning with its truth and reconciliation committee’s work.

Scotiabank has demonstrated remarkable consistency amid a very volatile economic period, reflecting the management team’s focus on initiatives to improve the productivity and efficiency of the bank.

Climate-related issues have always dominated sustainable finance, so it may raise a few eyebrows that Euromoney has named as North America’s best bank for sustainable finance a firm that saw its fossil-fuel investments jump by 87% in 2021. Indeed, until very recently, this year’s winner still boasted a long-running membership of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, which it has now let lapse.

Celebrating its 190th anniversary this year, making it older than the confederation of Canada itself, Scotiabank has quite a heritage. So does Brian Porter, its chief executive, who has been at the firm for his whole career, stretching back to 1981. But when he took the helm in 2013, his job was to reposition a bank that might best have been described as a mini-HSBC.