Robben Island to Wall Street

34 A look into the future

$IWHU , KDG FRPSOHWHG WKH WUDLQLQJ DW WKH %DQN¶V FROOHJH LQ /RQJ ,VODQG &LW\ , VXFFHVVIXOO\ VDW IRU WKH H[DP DQG ZDV PDGH DQ R൶FHU RI WKH EDQN DQG DFFRUGHG WKH WLWOH RI DVVLVWDQW PDQDJHU LQ WKH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO &RUSRUDWH %DQNLQJ 'LYLVLRQ ,&% HDUO\ $W WKH WLPH WKH FKDLUPDQ RI &LWLEDQN ZDV :DOWHU :ULVWRQ D ZHOO UHVSHFWHG ¿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൶FH LQ &LWLEDQN DQG \HW , ZRXOG KDYH WR FRPSHWH ZLWK WKH EDQNHUV DW &LWLEDQN 6RXWK$IULFD ZKR ZHUH PDLQO\ ZKLWH DQG KDG KDG WKH SULYLOHJH RI D JRRG HGXFDWLRQ DQG XQOLPLWHG RSSRUWXQLWLHV ,Q IDFW WKHUH ZDV D WDFLW XQGHUVWDQGLQJ EHWZHHQ WKH EDQN DQG PH WKDW DW VRPH VWDJH , ZRXOG EH DVVLJQHG WR RQH RI VHYHUDO RI RXU $IULFDQ R൶FHV 7KRVH RI XV ZKR ZHUH HDUPDUNHG IRU WKHVH LQWHUQDWLRQDO DVVLJQPHQWV ZHUH IDVW WUDFNHG IRU LQWHQVLYH WUDLQLQJ 7KLV RIWHQ FUHDWHG WHQVLRQV EHWZHHQ XV SDUWLFXODUO\ ZLWK VRPH RI RXU $IULFDQ $PHULFDQ FROOHDJXHV ZKR ZHUH QRW RQO\ IHZ LQ QXPEHU DW R൶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

272