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The recent trend for growth among local pan-regional banks continues and, in the last year, Grupo Financiero Ficohsa’s acquisition of Citi’s banks in Honduras and Nicaragua shows that it may well be a challenger in the future for BAC International Bank, which retains this year’s award for the best bank in central America and the Caribbean.

The shifting dynamics of the M&A market during the awards period has tested the mettle of advisory franchises. Corporates in particular have been wary – for different reasons at different times. The Obama administration had applied aggressive scrutiny that saw deals blocked in sectors such as healthcare, a situation compounded by the natural caution imposed by an upcoming presidential election.

World's best bank

Understanding the client’s business and needs is essential for banks in transaction services. But Western Europe’s best bank for transaction services, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, demonstrates a profound knowledge of the changing role of the corporate treasurer.

The award for best bank for wealth management in Africa this year goes to Standard Bank. With R79 billion ($6.14 billion) in wealth and investment assets under advisory, Standard Bank is Africa’s largest wealth manager.

This year the best bank for SMEs is Banco de Crédito del Perú, whose SME division serves over 400,000 clients in Peru across two categories: family businesses and non-family businesses.

Last year’s winner of the newly minted award for financing in Africa was Citi, and Citi again did well in the last 12 months. But Absa wins the award this time round, thanks in large part to its impressive work in South Africa.

Western Europe’s best bank for wealth management, Lombard Odier, was established 220 years ago. Yet despite a tight connection to its roots and with Patrick Odier as managing partner, the bank is an example of the new model of wealth management.

In less than 10 years, Ally Financial has transformed itself from an auto finance company into the fastest growing digital financial services provider in the US. Over the year, it made further strides on that journey and wins Euromoney’s award for best digital bank in North America.

European banks announced numerous investment pledges in digital banking over the last year. The best banks see technology not as a threat but as an opportunity to grow. They are partnering with and investing in fintech disrupters.

Years of cutting costs, simplifying structures, settling litigation and plugging holes in its coverage have brought one bank to the position where it is now firing on all cylinders across pretty much all of its US business portfolio. ‘Responsible growth’ is the guiding mantra for Bank of America chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan, and his success in putting those words into practice is why his firm is Euromoney’s best bank in the US. Moynihan might not be the flashiest of bank chiefs, but he knows his bank and he knows what clients in its home market want from it. His focus on building up the firm’s core middle-market franchise has borne fruit – not just in increased business loans but also on coverage more broadly. He drove the creation of deeper regional structures within the US, led by ‘market presidents’ who take personal responsibility for coordinating the bank’s activities across the country.

From challenging views on diversity in advertising to increasing productivity through homeworking initiatives, Lloyds is changing the way the corporations and society tackle D&I.