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The owner of a large portfolio of power plants, Goldman is adept at financing and risk managing energy assets.

Asia's best bank in 2006 is retained by the same bank that has held steadily on to it for the past seven years. There are few indications that it will relinquish this award soon.

Bahrain I Egypt I Iran I Israel I Jordan I Kuwait I Lebanon I Morocco I Oman I Qatar I Saudi Arabia I United Arab Emirates I Lifetime Achievement Raymond Audi comes from a line of bankers that stretches back 175 years to 1830, when Hanna Audi inherited his father’s exchange business in Sidon, in southern Lebanon. His own career began when Hajj Hamad Al Homaizi, founder of Commercial Bank of Kuwait, asked him to help create the present-day Bank Audi in 1962.

Botswana I Ethopia I The Gambia I Ghana I Kenya I Malawi I Mauritius I Namibia I Nigeria I Senegal I South Africa I Swaziland I Tanzania I Togo I Uganda I Zambia I Zimbabwe Mauritius is one of the most developed economies in Africa – classed as middle income, with GDP per capita of $13,100 in 2005 – so the slowing of economic growth to 3% in 2005 from the 5% to 6% common in previous years has been disappointing. But the government appears to have the right priorities and is committed to developing the country as a financial centre. Mauritius now houses more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector now exceeds $1 billion.

Stan O’Neal’s story is unique in investment banking. Born in Roanake, Alabama (because his home town’s hospital refused to serve African Americans), raised in Wedowee (population 750), he was educated in a schoolhouse built by his grandfather, who was born a slave. O’Neal’s father moved his family from the cotton fields to Atlanta, where he worked on a General Motors assembly line. Stan O’Neal worked there as a teenager but GM spotted his strong intellect and sent him on a scholarship to the GM Institute, where he gained a degree in industrial administration. He then took an MBA in finance at Harvard, graduating in 1978.

Botswana I Ethopia I The Gambia I Ghana I Kenya I Malawi I Mauritius I Namibia I Nigeria I Senegal I South Africa I Swaziland I Tanzania I Togo I Uganda I Zambia I Zimbabwe

Banking and financial services in Latin America are undergoing dramatic change. Strong economic growth and falling interest rates over the past five years mean that more Latin Americans are becoming financially enfranchised than ever before.

Bahamas I Bardados I Bermuda I Dominician Republic I Jamaica I Trinidad & Tobago I Costa Rica I El Salvador I Guatemala I Honduras I Nicaragua I Panama I Argentina I Bolivia I Brazil I Chile I Columbia I Ecuador I Mexico I Paraguay I Peru I Uruguay I Venezuela BankBoston Uruguay, which specializes in leasing, corporate finance, trade services and cash management, is the number two private bank in the country, with $708 million in assets. In the first four months of this year, BankBoston posted a $1.78 million profit, recovering from a loss in the same period in 2005, outperforming the country’s other main financial institutions, including ABN Amro, which reported a 24% drop in the same period, and Banco República, whose profits fell 6%. BankBoston’s loan growth soared 30% in the first quarter, building on strong asset, loan and profit growth last year. The bank, which is owned by Bank of America, is likely to make a profitable addition to Brazil’s second largest private bank, Banco Itaú, which bought the Brazilian unit of Bank of America in $2.2 billion in a deal that gives it exclusive rights to purchase BankBoston in Uruguay.

Bahamas I Bardados I Bermuda I Dominician Republic I Jamaica I Trinidad & Tobago I Costa Rica I El Salvador I Guatemala I Honduras I Nicaragua I Panama I Argentina I Bolivia I Brazil I Chile I Colombia I Ecuador I Mexico I Paraguay I Peru I Uruguay I Venezuela

Five years ago, the bank wasn’t even a top 10 player, but thanks to some innovative thinking and the Barx trading platform, it has proven that being biggest isn’t necessarily best.

The German bank continues to lead innovation, eagerly taking on cash risk positions to feed its risk transformation business.

Australia I China I Hong Kong I India I Indonesia I Japan I Malaysia I Mongolia I Pakistan I Philippines I Singapore I Taiwan I Thailand Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) is Vietnam’s fourth-largest bank, with $1.5 billion of assets but it is the largest joint stock banks and as such is one of the best run. Management controls more than one-third of the outstanding stock, with several institutional shareholders holding much of the balance. Standard Chartered Bank acquired a 8.56% stake for $22 million in 2005.