Name: |
Anouar Hassoune
Associate Director Standard & Poor`s Paris 30 French / Moroccan |
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Could you provide a brief journey of how you arrived where you are today?
After a long time studying economics, finance and political sciences, I started as a credit analyst in two major French banks. Then I joined Standard & Poor’s in 2001, to handle bank ratings in the Middle East. What does your role involve? What is your greatest achievement to date? Which of your products/services deliver the best results? What are the strengths of your business? In the Islamic financial industry, our rating coverage is expanding fast. All existing sovereign Sukuk have S&P ratings. Similarly, the major Islamic financial institutions active in the Middle East have been asking for ratings, but this has been a recent phenomenon. We certainly accompany Shariah compliant issuers in their task of making Islamic finance more familiar to the global investment constituency. What are the factors contributing to the success of your company? What are the obstacles faced in running your business today? From a business perspective, the vast majority of Shariah compliant issuers still operate in emerging countries, where ratings do have the same recognition, acceptance and stature as in more mature environments. There remains some reluctance to be fully transparent, to disclose as much information as possible, and ultimately to ask for ratings. Our duty is also to convince Middle East issuers, including Islamic ones, that ratings are one of the entry points into global markets and a very powerful tool for cross-border fundraising. Where do you see the Islamic finance industry, maybe in the next five years? Name one thing you would like to see change in the world of Islamic finance? Standard & Poor’s is the world’s foremost provider of independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. An essential part of the world’s financial infrastructure, Standard & Poor’s has played a leading role for more than 140 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions. Standard & Poor’s also provide globally recognized financial market indices such as the S&P 500® and a wide range of other products and services designed to help individuals and institutions around the world make better informed financial decisions with greater confidence. |