Bridging East and West with Pacific Rim banking division
As most people's primary choice for saving, investing and borrowing, banks are essential to a nation's economy. Technology trends and a shift in customer behaviour have increasingly caused changes in banking systems, procedures and policies worldwide. Understanding its crucial role in globalisation, Bank of the West (BOTW) aligns itself closely to the community it serves by offering localised knowledge and language expertise to its Asian-American and Asian clients.
As most people's primary choice for saving, investing and borrowing, banks are essential to a nation's economy. Technology trends and a shift in customer behaviour have increasingly caused changes in banking systems, procedures and policies worldwide. Understanding its crucial role in globalisation, Bank of the West (BOTW) aligns itself closely to the community it serves by offering localised knowledge and language expertise to its Asian-American and Asian clients.
"By providing bilingual and bicultural services, we have become a trustworthy banker with an international vision and domestic strength," says Yukinori Nishio, executive vice-president and head of the Pacific Rim banking division.
Banking is made easy for all clients of BOTW's more than 600 branches across 22 states. With bilingual advisers fluent in languages such as Putonghua, Cantonese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese, BOTW effectively provides new immigrants and foreign investors personalised credit or deposit services and hands-on assistance in understanding American culture. Through its knowledge of the local markets and languages, BOTW helps high-net-worth and affluent clients manage and grow their investments for future generations.
Recognising the importance of Asia, BOTW also offers customised and user-friendly import finance, foreign exchange and cash management products to Asian companies looking to establish a strong presence in the United States. Equipped with a team of 180 multilingual relationship managers handling retail and commercial services, the bank's Pacific Rim division is the partner of choice of Asian start-ups in California and US companies operating in Asia.
"We are the only bank in the country that has managed to combine an international global product and trade business with a solid local retail presence," Nishio says.
In 1854, Japan officially opened its gates to American trade through a treaty that eventually paved the way for stronger ties between the US and Asia. Exactly 20 years later, BOTW was established in California. With a history that dates back to 1874, BOTW continues to forge East-and-West alliances by offering streamlined cross-border banking services.
BOTW's comprehensive product offering and dedication to its clients help the bank maintain its leading position among banks in the US based on total managed assets. With 20 specialised branches in California devoted to serve the Asian ethnic communities and by leveraging global synergies from its parent company BNP Paribas, BOTW is an ideal hybrid of an international banking chain and a familiar neighbourhood bank.
Besides providing conventional banking products, such as credit cards, loans and electronic bill payments, BOTW prides itself on being a life-long partner of Asian and Asian-American individuals, families and entrepreneurs. From the day the client opens his first savings account, BOTW assists him in various needs, whether it involves purchasing assets, securing loans for business or investing for retirement.
"Cultural understanding is important to make the customer feel comfortable," Nishio says.
The fact that customers have been entrusting their money to BOTW for more than 140 years amid the ebbs and flows of the US economy is a testament to the bank's commitment to growing alongside and serving its customers. Through BOTW's Pacific Rim banking division, Asian and Asian-American clients have access to the full range of personal, corporate and international banking services assisted by financial specialists with cultural and language proficiency.
To better serve Asian individuals and companies that are looking to diversify their investments through real estate and business expansion to the US, BOTW operates representative offices in Taipei and Tokyo. Conversely, American companies venturing into Asian shores can rely on the broad network of the bank's Paris-based parent company.
"With a little more than 40,000 Asian customers, we have one of the largest Asian client bases among US banks," Nishio says.
http://www.bankofthewest.com
