There’s no denying the reverberations of the credit crisis that began in 2007. Even if the crescendo finally has occurred, retail banks face flattening performance, market turmoil and a mounting global shift in assets. Yet, the worldwide financial system is expected to quadruple by 2025 to nearly US$1,300 trillion1 . Executives agree lobalization will open new windows of opportunity and unleash potential new threats, pushing banks beyond today’s boundaries.

And, while many feel unprepared, the reality is that no bank—big or small—can opt out of globalization. Today’s performance woes, combined with the quest for sustainable growth, are pushing banks beyond geographic and product-centric boundaries. In our most recent survey titled, “No bank is an Island: Get global before globalization gets you”, conducted in cooperation with Economist Intelligence Unit, we examined the effects of globalization on the retail banking industry. Bankers agree: globalization is the single greatest