Over 6,000 banking, industrial, and government executives worldwide have participated in the author''s seminarsThe value of the hedge fund market in 2007 has already topped $1.5 trillion.

The Management of Investments is based on an extensive research project done by the author in 2003 and 2004, in the United States, England, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland.The author outlines the rules behind the able management of investments by private individuals, banks, and institutional investors. These rules are examined within the perspective of each entity''s goals and challenges. Based on research results and on his own experience, the author demonstrates that shareholder value is usually being paid lip service. As far as investment results are concerned, there are serious risks associated to leveraging, near-sighted management, obsolescence of skills and dubious deals.But there are also investment rules which, when observed, help in avoiding the slippery path which ends with investors losing their capital. To help in explaining these rules, the book outlines the way capital markets work, equity research is done, and risks associated to biases. It also pays attention to forces propelling economic growth – or downturn. Growth is usually dictated by the customer, but the customer is influenced by market psychology, liquidity, volatility, and prospects of the product or financial instrument he contemplates to buy. Case studies on instruments in the book examine equities, interest rates and exchange rates. The text also analyzes the role played by hedge funds and their strategies, as well as risks associated to alternative investments.* Explains the benefits provided by sound investment management* Suggests ways and means to gain investor confidence* Includes lessons which can be learned from the market bubble of the late 1990s, the long 2000-2003 market depression and the starting recovery in 2004

Wealth Management has two themes: Private Banking and investment decisions regarding Structural Financial Products. Dr. Dimitris Chorafas examines in a rigorous way whether structured financial products are advisable investments for retail and institutional investors and, if yes, which risks they entail. As our society becomes increasingly affluent, and state-supported pension schemes find it difficult to survive, a growing number of high net-worth individuals, and families, have become retail investors – looking for ways and means to optimize wealth management, and Private Banking deals with these sorts of clients. Private banking also deals with clients that are institutional investors, such as pension funds, mutual funds, and insurance companies, as well as not-for-profits, foundations and companies explicitly set up for wealth management. Both institutional and retail investors are being offered by the banks they work with structured products. Typically, these are securities that provide them with a redemption amount, with may be either with full or partial capital protection, and some type of return. The book examines structured financial products, their polyvalent nature, and the results which could be expected from them.Return on structural instruments, which are essentially derivatives, is paid in function of a specific investment strategy on selected underlying asset(s). This essentially means on the performance of the underlyings, obtained by asset managers, which may be banks or hedge funds, through purchase or sale of embedded options. But there are risks. Both risk and return from structured products are related to three main issues: the volatility of future value of an underlying, the uncertainty of future events, and the exposure of the product. Every type of investment is subject to market forces, and the more leveraged a portfolio is, the greater will probably be both the assumed risk and the expected reward. The fact that structured financial products appeal, or at least are being marketed, to both retail investors and institutional investors makes the dual approach deliberately chosen in this book most advisable. This book addresses all these issues in a practical manner with numerous case studies and real-world examples drawn from the author''s intensive research.- Because it is based on intensive research, the book is rich in practical examples and case studies- Addresses the growing trend towards the use of structured financial instruments in private banking- Thorough treatment of structured financial products that keeps maths to a minimum

Written for managers and professionals in business and industry, this book helps the reader in: * Understanding what is and is not IFRS * Learning the complexities of IFRS implementation* Appreciating the contribution of IFRS to corporate governance The changeover from the mosaic of different heterogeneous national accounting standards to the International Financial Reporting Standards has not been easy. For many companies IFRS, and most particularly the concept of fair value in IAS 39, has amounted to a phase shift – which is prerequisite to achieving compliant financial reporting. The research conducted by Dr. Chorafas for this book, documented that the process of meeting IFRS requirements presents opportunities and challenges to all enterprises. As many companies have found out, abandoning the classical accruals accounting for marking-to-market their transactions and portfolio positions, has not been easy. The conversion process has affected several functions within the organization including balance sheets, P&L statements, auditing, risk control, information systems, and management accounting. This book is in made up of four parts: * Part One focuses on business competition, standards boards, corporate accounting, and IAS 39 * The theme of Part Two, is the implementation of IFRS, exemplified through case studies on task forces and practical applications * Part Three brings together IFRS and management accounting requirements, with emphasis on fair value. * Part Four addresses itself to the contribution IFRS can make to better corporate governance, and to rebuilding the balance sheet The book has many case studies based on actual experiences. These range from the implementation of IFRS directives such as hedge accounting, to developing practices of real-time balance sheets; the help provided by sophisticated accounting solutions help in stress testing; and a comprehensive definition of the role of the audit committee.* A clear and practical view of the complexities of IFRS implementation* Includes practical case studies from real-life companies going through the process* Pays particular attention to IAS 39 on Fair Value

The Consultative paper issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (Basel II) cites the failure of bankers to adequately stress test exposures as a major reason for bad loans. Sample quotes from this crucial document: * "Banks should take into consideration potential future changes in economic conditions when assessing individual credits and their credit portfolios, and should assess their credit risk exposures under stressful conditions." * "The recent disturbances in Asia and Russia illustrate how close linkages among emerging markets under stress conditions and previously undetected correlations between market and credit risks, as well as between those risks and liquidity risk, can produce widespread losses."* "Effective stress testing which takes account of business or product cycle effects is one approach to incorporating into credit decisions a fuller understanding of a borrower''s credit risk."Written for professionals in financial services with responsibility for IT and risk measurement, management, and modeling, Dimitris Chorafas explains in clear language the testing methodology necessary for risk control to meet Basel II requirements. Stress testing is the core focus of the book, covering stress analysis and the use of scenarios, models, drills, benchmarking, backtesting, and post-mortems, creditworthiness, wrong way risk and statistical inference, probability of default, loss given default and exposure at default, stress testing expected losses, correlation coefficients, and unexpected losses, stress testing related to market discipline and control action, and pillars 2 and 3 of Basel II.* Written in clear, straightforward style with numerous practical examples* Based on five years of development and research* Focuses on stress probability of default, stress loss given default, stsress exposure at default

This book is a complimentary follow-on book to Operational Risk Control with Basel II. While the previous book focuses on operational risk, Economic Capital Allocation provides an overview of credit risk within the context of the Basel II accords.The book provides:* comprehensive coverage of the evolution of the banking industry with Basel II in mind* extensive information on the capital requirements for bank liquidity and solvency * coverage of the new rules as laid down by the supervisory authorities of the Group of Ten industrialized nations* key information on the technical requirements for credit institutions such as: new credit rating scales, modeling of credit risk, control of operational risks, and, novel ways and means for the management of exposure to Credit Risk* Basel II accords must be implemented by 2006 and require 2 years preparation for proper implementation* Author at the forefront in the development of the Basel II Capital Adequacy Accord * Based on intensive research in the US, UK and continental Europe

Operational Risk Control with Basel II, provides a sound methodology for operational risk control and focuses on management risk and ways to avoid it. The book explains why and how information technology is a major operational risk and shows how to integrate cost control in the operational risk perspective. It aslo details analytical approaches to operational risk control, to help with scorecard developments, explains the distinction between High Frequency Low Risk and Low Frequency High Risk events and provides many case studeies from banking and insurance to demonstrate the attention operational risks deserve.- Assists risk professionals in preparing their institution to comply with the New Capital Adequacy Framework issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, which becomes mandatory from January 1, 2006- Readers benefit from a significantly broader viewpoint on types of operational risks, operational risks controls, and results to be expected from operational risk management - compared to what the reader may gain from books previously published on this same topic

This book examines the practice of strategic business planning, including its functions, methods, tools, and the way in which they are employed. It does so in a practical way through case studies, which help in demonstrating how to innovate in order to overcome obstacles and cover new and evolving challenges.The book is divided into six parts : • part 1 focuses on the strategic plan, as master plan of the enterprise • part 2 covers the management functions whose able execution makes the difference between success and failure: forecasting, planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling • part 3 demonstrates that modern accounting rules, promoted by IFRS and US GAAP, not only assist in strategic financial planning but also provide a solid basis for management supervision and control • part 4 brings your attention the fact that costs matter. Strategic business plans that pay little or no attention to cost factors are doomed • part 5 addresses the issues associated with strategic products and markets. These range from research and development to market research, product planning, the able management of marketing functions, and sales effectiveness• part 6 concludes the book with an emphasis on mergers, acquisitions, and consolidations and the risks associated with an M&A policyChief executives, operating officers, treasurers, financial officers, budget directors, accountants, auditors, product planners, marketing directors, and management accounting specialists will find this book of practical examples helpful to their decisions and to their work.* Shows the factors to consider when planning how to take your company to the next level, from identifying and making strategic choices to capital allocation and financial planning. All from a professional accountant''s perspective and in their language* Full of case studies to help you relate your ideas to what other major companies have done before, including IBM, Delta Airlines, and Bloomberg - so you can learn from their success or failure* Shows why strategic cost control is good governance, why and how to account for the cost of risk and how IFRS relates to strategic accounting principles

Written for managers and professionals in business and industry, and using a minimum of mathematical language, The Management of Bond Investments and the Trading of Debt addresses three key issues:- Bondholder''s options, risks and rewards in making investments in debt instruments;- The dynamics of inflation, and how they affect both trading in the bond market, and investment decisions; and- The democratization of lending, socialization of risk, and effect of the global economy on the bond market.Financial expert Dimitris Chorafas discusses these issues in straightforward language for managers and professionals in commercial banks, securities houses, financial services companies, merchandising firms, manufacturing companies, and consulting firms, placing the mathematical treatment of the issues in the appendices, available for study but not necessary for understanding the business issues addressed in the book.- Focuses on new issues of central importance in bond and debt trading today- Uses clear, straightforward language for managers and professionals in business and industry, with mathematical treatment provided in appendices- Thorough treatment of operational risk new to books on this topic

Written for professionals in financial services with responsibility for IT and risk management, Dimitris Chorafas surveys the methodology required and IT systems and structures to support it according to Basel II. The book is consistent with the risk management certification process of GARP, as well as the accounting rules of IFRS, based on research the author conducted with IASB. The author provices an in-depth discussion of the types of risk, stress analysis and the use of scenarios, mathematical models, and IT systems and infrastructure requirements.* Written in clear, straightforward style for financial industry executives to provide necessary information for risk control decisionmaking* Consistent with GARP, IFRS and IASB risk management processes and procedures* Explains stress testing and its place in risk control

Both Accountants and Auditors are confronted daily with challenges associated with the evaluation of credit risk, market risk, and other exposures. The book provides up-to-date information on the most significant developments in risk management policies and practices. Accountants whose work under International Financial Reporting Standards increasingly involves risk control in their job will find this book of practical value with the inclusion of material on "how to" successfully design, implementation and use risk control measures. Designed specifically for accountants the book starts with the fundamental factors underpinning risk: volatility and uncertainty, and then shows how and why accounting, auditing, and risk control correlate. The themes covered in the book include: credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, investment risk, and event risk. * This practical handbook, complete with case studies is specifically aimed at accountants.* comprehensive information on how to develop, implement and use a risk management system * Covers credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, investment risk, event risk.

Public Debt Dynamics of Europe and the U.S., provides the evidence and implications of current policies by sovereigns and central banks, in dealing with the debt abyss. It brings in perspective the diversity of opinion reigning in modern economics and finance and outlines the themes which, among themselves, are defining the society in which we live.Our epoch has accepted the theory that leveraging is good for a person, a company or even a nation. This has led to the debt syndrome and its disastrous aftereffects. Throughout the book evidence emerges that piling up public debt can lead to an unmitigated disaster. This is demonstrated through case studies on Greece, Spain, Italy, France and the United States – in short, those western countries that nowadays have lost control of their senses and of their economy.This book uses real life examples, using case studies as evidence of good and bad approaches to social, economic and financial life. Live events also help as undisputable demonstrators of successes and failures in the search for solutions in getting out of the hole western governments find themselves. As Denis Healey, a former British chancellor of the Exchequer, once said: "The first law of holes is that if you are in one stop digging.- Provides insight and implications on the current policies of sovereigns and central banks- Uses real life practical examples and case studies on Greece, Spain, Italy, France and the United States- Examines developing countries, particularly BRICS, and their exposure to debt- Focuses on public health and the effects it has on the economy

Successful management teams can identify the cost and return derived from the implementation of new technology, and they can properly apply the technology toward gaining a competitive advantage. IT and business managers alike need a resource that enables them to prepare for future operating conditions, identify beneficial solutions, and use high te

The objective of this book is to provide banks and the financial industry at large with an analysis of what is and what is not a network at their service. The background to the book is electronic banking, and the foreground brings into perspective what has been done by forward-looking financial industries and the benefits they have achieved. While banking is today an industry, it cannot be satisfactorily compared to other industries as it operates too much by its own rules. Examples in the text have therefore been restricted to banking only and, more precisely, to the four generations of online financial networks which have evolved over the past twenty years in Japan. This book is a study addressed to the management of financial institutions. Computers and communications technologists will also gain from it both insight and foresight.

Being a member of the Board used to be a challenging job. It still is. But the nature of the challenge, the risk, even the professional qualifications required have changed. The book says how and why.

This book presents the reader with a complete and comprehensive picture of what is happening today in banks and other financial institutions in terms of expert systems implementation. In addition it helps in refining the reader's thoughts on how to build an environment for the successful implementation of expert systems in banking - and how to sell this concept to management including risks and opportunities.

This book addresses the changing role of networks and the evolving structure of an Infrastructure Superhighway. The requirements for leadership in telecommunications are reviewed from different viewpoints: Network operators, equipment manufacturers, software developers and user organizations. Emphasis is placed on multimedia and what multimedia solutions would mean to telephone utilities and endusers. Based on extensive research undertaken in Europe, US and Japan, Dimitris Chorafas identifies new domains of applications, presents the breakthroughs which have currently been achieved and outlines the systems solutions necessary to fruitfully exploit new technology.

Many professionals in the technology industry are seeking new solutions beyond the confines of the more traditional type software tools, network design solutions and distributed systems applications. The aim of this book is to provide for them a much needed upgrade of knowledge and skills by addressing the developing technical and business perspectives which have emerged from the deregulation of telecommunications, including issues connected to costs and tariffs. It also addresses a comprehensible introduction to the research, development and implementation of agents. Based on thorough research undertaken from 1993-96 in the United States, Europe and Japan, much practical material is included, with both comprehensive examples and case studies.

In order to achieve long-term profitability and assure survival for their companies, managers must be informed, imaginative, and capable of adapting to shifting circumstances. Practical decisions rather than theories hold the upper ground. Business, Marketing, and Management Principles for IT and Engineering supplies the understanding required to effectively manage an organization in an increasingly competitive global market. Using case studies, the book illustrates the principles, policies, and management practices used by some of the most successful companies around the world. The real-world case studies supply valuable insight into the range of issues that confront decision makers in business. By explaining how to develop effective strategies and business plans, the text supplies both the concepts and the tools to stay on track with those plans. It also: Explains how to evaluate the pros and cons of your organizational policies and how to effect policies for maximum synergyCovers product development, sales, marketing, pricing, and financial analysisIllustrates the right and wrong ways to implement the principles discussed, with case studies of hi-tech companies such as Apple, Google, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, Toyota, ITT, and Bloomberg Dimitris N. Chorafas provides valuable insight garnered over half a century of advising financial institutions and multinational industrial corporations. Dr. Chorafas explains how to develop competitive products and use pricing strategies to achieve an edge over your competition. He also includes case studies that examine the price wars in the computer industry. This book supplies a realistic look into the positive and negative aspects of various policies and whether or not current practices related to forecasting, planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling have produced th

A guide to managing cloud projects, Cloud Computing Strategies provides the understanding required to evaluate the technology and determine how it can be best applied to improve business and enhance your overall corporate strategy. Based on extensive research, it examines the opportunities and challenges that loom in the cloud. It explains exactly what cloud computing is, what it has to offer, and calls attention to the important issues management needs to consider before passing the point of no return regarding financial commitments. Illustrated with numerous examples and case studies, the book examines security, privacy, data ownership, and data protection in the cloud. It also: Explains how and why your company can benefit from Open Software and onDemand ServicesIdentifies various cloud providers, their services, and their content as a basis for evaluating cost effectivenessProvides authoritative guidance on how to transition from a legacy system to the cloudIncludes helpful tips for managing cloud vendor relationships and avoiding vendor lock-in Whether you’re already in the cloud or just considering it, the text provides the unbiased understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of cloud computing needed to make informed decisions regarding its future in your organization. The book’s strength is that it supplies authoritative insight on everything needed to decide if you should make a transition to the cloud.

Information technology auditing and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance have several overlapping characteristics. They both require ethical accounting practices, focused auditing activities, a functioning system of internal control, and a close watch by the board’s audit committee and CEO. Written as a contribution to the accounting and auditing professions as well as to IT practitioners, IT Auditing and Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance: Key Strategies for Business Improvement links these two key business strategies and explains how to perform IT auditing in a comprehensive and strategic manner.Based on 46 years of experience as a consultant to the boards of major corporations in manufacturing and banking, the author addresses objectives, practices, and business opportunities expected from auditing information systems. Topics discussed include the concept of internal control, auditing functions, internal and external auditors, and the responsibilities of the board of directors. The book uses several case studies to illustrate and clarify the material. Its chapters analyze the underlying reasons for failures in IT projects and how they can be avoided, examine critical technical questions concerning information technology, discuss problems related to system reliability and response time, and explore issues of compliance.The book concludes by presenting readers with a "what if" scenario. If Sarbannes-Oxley legislation had passed the U.S. Congress in the late 1990s or even 2000, how might this have influenced the financial statements of Enron and Worldcom? We can never truly know the answer, but if companies make use of the procedures in this book, debacles such as these – and those which led to the 2007-2008 credit and banking crisis – will remain a distant memory.

Based on an extensive research project done by the author in the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden, and Austria from December 1999 to June 2001, Enterprise Architecture and New Generation Information Systems focuses on four main themes: Next Generation Information Technology The Likely Technologies of this Decade Enterprise Computing The Internet as the 21st Century's Answer to MerchandisingWhile the majority of books presently available on information systems are written from the viewpoint of system analysis, programming, or common applications, this text: Brings to the reader's attention the importance of organization and infrastructure Presents a wealth of case studies to explain the need for reengineering and restructuring Details the latest advances which influence the implementation of advanced technologyWritten in a simple, comprehensive manner without specific prerequisites and data processing jargon, with concepts and case studies properly explained, this book addresses itself to practitioners in computer technology, telecommunications and software development, who are interested in acquiring skills through knowledge of the most advanced applications, tools, and methods, both present and coming. Enterprise Architecture and New Generation Information Systems will prove appealing to every person charged with planning, developing, applying, and delivering advanced information systems, architectural solutions, and programming products.

Presents a complete introduction to modern exchange markets and what to know in order to operate them effectively using trading systems, computer-based models and other analytical tools. Contains an in-depth explanation of the emerging structure of new international financial markets including insights into current electronic and global markets.

So far there has been only praise for globalization. However, the export wave of China’s manufacturing machine and, more recently, the Global financial crisis show that globalization has limits. Globalization, the internationalization of trade, and financial integration are having enormous implications for businesses as well as for the whole economies of countries or blocks of countries. In this book Dr Chorafas argues that research is now producing evidence that there are limits to such globalization and amalgamation and that these need to be better defined and understood if some of the problems now being identified are to be prevented from applying the brakes, or worse, putting the process into reverse gear. The author examines the impact on countries such as the United States and European Union of occurrences like China's emergence as a massive manufacturing platform and the distortions of trade that result, affecting countries' GDP and creating problems such as uncontrollable current account deficits. He also considers the effect of Sovereign Wealth Funds as new entrants on the scene. These, he argues, are seen by some as 'the Trojan horses of state capitalism', particularly in what he defines as the 'absence of a global sheriff'. Globalization’s Limits looks at the EU and the Euroland as a test of globalization. The conclusions Chorafas draws about the effect on member states of pan-European banking, and the Euro as common currency, have implications for Britain and for the rest of the world. Issues relating to missed opportunities and leadership beg questions such as 'Who, if anybody, is or should be in charge of global monetary policy?

It is no secret that Europe is currently undergoing a major economic and social crisis, so it is essential says Dimitris Chorafas that leaders of industry and finance within the EU, or doing business with the EU, know what is going on. What is it that threatens competitiveness and produces obstacles to providing a vibrant business landscape in the European Union? This book offers insight into the particular nature of the European cocktail of business and politics, explaining how that bears on trade and relations between, for example, continental Europe and the UK, across the Atlantic with the US, with Russia and with Asia. Dr Chorafas explains and critiques Europe's conflicting aims and what he describes as its wanting business plan. Case studies to illustrate the consequences for business of the deficiencies identified are included. With its mix of rigorously researched background and forthright argument, this timely book will satisfy those academics with an interest in the issues addressed and will also serve as a planning tool for business leaders and government executives trying to determine what they can do at enterprise level. The challenge is to survive and prosper in an environment where 'business is politics'.

Education, employment policy, and pensions are inextricably linked and critical to any sort of business or economic revival, let alone success, and all three are addressed in Education and Employment in the European Union. In the first part of this meticulously researched and highly informative book, Dimitris Chorafas argues that European educational standards, from primary schools through to universities, leave much to be desired. The author then turns to employment. Already affected by problems with education, employment is fettered by structural issues, ranging from inflexible labour laws to heavy social costs. Here, the author suggests what might be done to get employment moving again in difficult economic times. Employment and pensions work in synergy. In the final part, Chorafas examines the implications of and future for pension provision, taking a polyvalent approach which embraces state pensions, company pensions and the workings of pension funds - as well as healthcare issues and the longevity risk. The evidenced analysis of the three interlinked policy areas in this book identifies the issues and the relationships between them. The findings and suggestions will be important to business practitioners, business educators, government authorities, policy makers, consultancies and others either within or wishing to learn lessons from the European Union.

Every generation leaves both assets and liabilities to the next. Alert people can see we are going to leave our children and grandchildren with a nearly unsolvable test of energy supplies; waste polluting the air and water; and the appalling problem of a huge and uncontrollable explosion in world population. Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Business Competitiveness addresses itself to those having a professional, academic or general interest in these issues: - Energy sources, their nature and contribution, - Environmental problems associated to power production and usage, - Financing and control of energy-related projects and processes, - Future direction of agriculture produce now used as energy, - Complex social and technical issues resulting from lack of family planning - and, therefore, of demands for energy, - Impact of energy and an exploding population on pollution, - Truth and hype about the most talked about environmental subjects. In this fourth book for Gower, Dimitris Chorafas reviews Europe, America and Asia's energy needs in the coming decade, pointing out that current policies are inadequate at best, and more likely disastrous for the economy. Governments persist in having their own agenda and priorities as well as plenty of constraints and taboos, yet when he critically examines the challenges Dr Chorafas concludes that no government can solve all current energy problems by acting alone. The book confronts current thinking, and its after-effect on policies and practices. Readers accustomed to mainstream books and articles which blame fossil fuels for a deteriorating world environment will find this a contrary opinion.

Wealth Management has two themes: Private Banking and investment decisions regarding Structural Financial Products. Dr. Dimitris Chorafas examines in a rigorous way whether structured financial products are advisable investments for retail and institutional investors and, if yes, which risks they entail. As our society becomes increasingly affluent, and state-supported pension schemes find it difficult to survive, a growing number of high net-worth individuals, and families, have become retail investors - looking for ways and means to optimize wealth management, and Private Banking deals with these sorts of clients. Private banking also deals with clients that are institutional investors, such as pension funds, mutual funds, and insurance companies, as well as not-for-profits, foundations and companies explicitly set up for wealth management. Both institutional and retail investors are being offered by the banks they work with structured products. Typically, these are securities that provide them with a redemption amount, with may be either with full or partial capital protection, and some type of return. The book examines structured financial products, their polyvalent nature, and the results which could be expected from them.

Return on structural instruments, which are essentially derivatives, is paid in function of a specific investment strategy on selected underlying asset(s). This essentially means on the performance of the underlyings, obtained by asset managers, which may be banks or hedge funds, through purchase or sale of embedded options. But there are risks. Both risk and return from structured products are related to three main issues: the volatility of future value of an underlying, the uncertainty of future events, and the exposure of the product. Every type of investment is subject to market forces, and the more leveraged a portfolio is, the greater will probably be both the assumed risk and the expected reward. The fact that structured financial products appeal, or at least are being marketed, to both retail investors and institutional investors makes the dual approach deliberately chosen in this book most advisable. This book addresses all these issues in a practical manner with numerous case studies and real-world examples drawn from the author's intensive research.

Because it is based on intensive research, the book is rich in practical examples and case studies Addresses the growing trend towards the use of structured financial instruments in private banking Thorough treatment of structured financial products that keeps maths to a minimum

Written for managers and professionals in business and industry, this book helps the reader in: * Understanding what is and is not IFRS * Learning the complexities of IFRS implementation* Appreciating the contribution of IFRS to corporate governance The changeover from the mosaic of different heterogeneous national accounting standards to the International Financial Reporting Standards has not been easy. For many companies IFRS, and most particularly the concept of fair value in IAS 39, has amounted to a phase shift - which is prerequisite to achieving compliant financial reporting. The research conducted by Dr. Chorafas for this book, documented that the process of meeting IFRS requirements presents opportunities and challenges to all enterprises. As many companies have found out, abandoning the classical accruals accounting for marking-to-market their transactions and portfolio positions, has not been easy. The conversion process has affected several functions within the organization including balance sheets, P&L statements, auditing, risk control, information systems, and management accounting. This book is in made up of four parts: * Part One focuses on business competition, standards boards, corporate accounting, and IAS 39 * The theme of Part Two, is the implementation of IFRS, exemplified through case studies on task forces and practical applications * Part Three brings together IFRS and management accounting requirements, with emphasis on fair value. * Part Four addresses itself to the contribution IFRS can make to better corporate governance, and to rebuilding the balance sheet The book has many case studies based on actual experiences. These range from the implementation of IFRS directives such as hedge accounting, to developing practices of real-time balance sheets; the help provided by sophisticated accounting solutions help in stress testing; and a comprehensive definition of the role of the audit committee.* A clear and practical view of the complexities of IFRS implementation* Includes practical case studies from real-life companies going through the process* Pays particular attention to IAS 39 on Fair Value

Over 6,000 banking, industrial, and government executives worldwide have participated in the author''s seminarsThe value of the hedge fund market in 2007 has already topped $1.5 trillion.

The Management of Investments is based on an extensive research project done by the author in 2003 and 2004, in the United States, England, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland.The author outlines the rules behind the able management of investments by private individuals, banks, and institutional investors. These rules are examined within the perspective of each entity''s goals and challenges. Based on research results and on his own experience, the author demonstrates that shareholder value is usually being paid lip service. As far as investment results are concerned, there are serious risks associated to leveraging, near-sighted management, obsolescence of skills and dubious deals.But there are also investment rules which, when observed, help in avoiding the slippery path which ends with investors losing their capital. To help in explaining these rules, the book outlines the way capital markets work, equity research is done, and risks associated to biases. It also pays attention to forces propelling economic growth – or downturn. Growth is usually dictated by the customer, but the customer is influenced by market psychology, liquidity, volatility, and prospects of the product or financial instrument he contemplates to buy. Case studies on instruments in the book examine equities, interest rates and exchange rates. The text also analyzes the role played by hedge funds and their strategies, as well as risks associated to alternative investments.* Explains the benefits provided by sound investment management* Suggests ways and means to gain investor confidence* Includes lessons which can be learned from the market bubble of the late 1990s, the long 2000-2003 market depression and the starting recovery in 2004

Wealth Management has two themes: Private Banking and investment decisions regarding Structural Financial Products. Dr. Dimitris Chorafas examines in a rigorous way whether structured financial products are advisable investments for retail and institutional investors and, if yes, which risks they entail. As our society becomes increasingly affluent, and state-supported pension schemes find it difficult to survive, a growing number of high net-worth individuals, and families, have become retail investors – looking for ways and means to optimize wealth management, and Private Banking deals with these sorts of clients. Private banking also deals with clients that are institutional investors, such as pension funds, mutual funds, and insurance companies, as well as not-for-profits, foundations and companies explicitly set up for wealth management. Both institutional and retail investors are being offered by the banks they work with structured products. Typically, these are securities that provide them with a redemption amount, with may be either with full or partial capital protection, and some type of return. The book examines structured financial products, their polyvalent nature, and the results which could be expected from them.Return on structural instruments, which are essentially derivatives, is paid in function of a specific investment strategy on selected underlying asset(s). This essentially means on the performance of the underlyings, obtained by asset managers, which may be banks or hedge funds, through purchase or sale of embedded options. But there are risks. Both risk and return from structured products are related to three main issues: the volatility of future value of an underlying, the uncertainty of future events, and the exposure of the product. Every type of investment is subject to market forces, and the more leveraged a portfolio is, the greater will probably be both the assumed risk and the expected reward. The fact that structured financial products appeal, or at least are being marketed, to both retail investors and institutional investors makes the dual approach deliberately chosen in this book most advisable. This book addresses all these issues in a practical manner with numerous case studies and real-world examples drawn from the author''s intensive research.- Because it is based on intensive research, the book is rich in practical examples and case studies- Addresses the growing trend towards the use of structured financial instruments in private banking- Thorough treatment of structured financial products that keeps maths to a minimum

Written for managers and professionals in business and industry, this book helps the reader in: * Understanding what is and is not IFRS * Learning the complexities of IFRS implementation* Appreciating the contribution of IFRS to corporate governance The changeover from the mosaic of different heterogeneous national accounting standards to the International Financial Reporting Standards has not been easy. For many companies IFRS, and most particularly the concept of fair value in IAS 39, has amounted to a phase shift – which is prerequisite to achieving compliant financial reporting. The research conducted by Dr. Chorafas for this book, documented that the process of meeting IFRS requirements presents opportunities and challenges to all enterprises. As many companies have found out, abandoning the classical accruals accounting for marking-to-market their transactions and portfolio positions, has not been easy. The conversion process has affected several functions within the organization including balance sheets, P&L statements, auditing, risk control, information systems, and management accounting. This book is in made up of four parts: * Part One focuses on business competition, standards boards, corporate accounting, and IAS 39 * The theme of Part Two, is the implementation of IFRS, exemplified through case studies on task forces and practical applications * Part Three brings together IFRS and management accounting requirements, with emphasis on fair value. * Part Four addresses itself to the contribution IFRS can make to better corporate governance, and to rebuilding the balance sheet The book has many case studies based on actual experiences. These range from the implementation of IFRS directives such as hedge accounting, to developing practices of real-time balance sheets; the help provided by sophisticated accounting solutions help in stress testing; and a comprehensive definition of the role of the audit committee.* A clear and practical view of the complexities of IFRS implementation* Includes practical case studies from real-life companies going through the process* Pays particular attention to IAS 39 on Fair Value

The Consultative paper issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (Basel II) cites the failure of bankers to adequately stress test exposures as a major reason for bad loans. Sample quotes from this crucial document: * "Banks should take into consideration potential future changes in economic conditions when assessing individual credits and their credit portfolios, and should assess their credit risk exposures under stressful conditions." * "The recent disturbances in Asia and Russia illustrate how close linkages among emerging markets under stress conditions and previously undetected correlations between market and credit risks, as well as between those risks and liquidity risk, can produce widespread losses."* "Effective stress testing which takes account of business or product cycle effects is one approach to incorporating into credit decisions a fuller understanding of a borrower''s credit risk."Written for professionals in financial services with responsibility for IT and risk measurement, management, and modeling, Dimitris Chorafas explains in clear language the testing methodology necessary for risk control to meet Basel II requirements. Stress testing is the core focus of the book, covering stress analysis and the use of scenarios, models, drills, benchmarking, backtesting, and post-mortems, creditworthiness, wrong way risk and statistical inference, probability of default, loss given default and exposure at default, stress testing expected losses, correlation coefficients, and unexpected losses, stress testing related to market discipline and control action, and pillars 2 and 3 of Basel II.* Written in clear, straightforward style with numerous practical examples* Based on five years of development and research* Focuses on stress probability of default, stress loss given default, stsress exposure at default

This book is a complimentary follow-on book to Operational Risk Control with Basel II. While the previous book focuses on operational risk, Economic Capital Allocation provides an overview of credit risk within the context of the Basel II accords.The book provides:* comprehensive coverage of the evolution of the banking industry with Basel II in mind* extensive information on the capital requirements for bank liquidity and solvency * coverage of the new rules as laid down by the supervisory authorities of the Group of Ten industrialized nations* key information on the technical requirements for credit institutions such as: new credit rating scales, modeling of credit risk, control of operational risks, and, novel ways and means for the management of exposure to Credit Risk* Basel II accords must be implemented by 2006 and require 2 years preparation for proper implementation* Author at the forefront in the development of the Basel II Capital Adequacy Accord * Based on intensive research in the US, UK and continental Europe

Operational Risk Control with Basel II, provides a sound methodology for operational risk control and focuses on management risk and ways to avoid it. The book explains why and how information technology is a major operational risk and shows how to integrate cost control in the operational risk perspective. It aslo details analytical approaches to operational risk control, to help with scorecard developments, explains the distinction between High Frequency Low Risk and Low Frequency High Risk events and provides many case studeies from banking and insurance to demonstrate the attention operational risks deserve.- Assists risk professionals in preparing their institution to comply with the New Capital Adequacy Framework issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, which becomes mandatory from January 1, 2006- Readers benefit from a significantly broader viewpoint on types of operational risks, operational risks controls, and results to be expected from operational risk management - compared to what the reader may gain from books previously published on this same topic

This book examines the practice of strategic business planning, including its functions, methods, tools, and the way in which they are employed. It does so in a practical way through case studies, which help in demonstrating how to innovate in order to overcome obstacles and cover new and evolving challenges.The book is divided into six parts : • part 1 focuses on the strategic plan, as master plan of the enterprise • part 2 covers the management functions whose able execution makes the difference between success and failure: forecasting, planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling • part 3 demonstrates that modern accounting rules, promoted by IFRS and US GAAP, not only assist in strategic financial planning but also provide a solid basis for management supervision and control • part 4 brings your attention the fact that costs matter. Strategic business plans that pay little or no attention to cost factors are doomed • part 5 addresses the issues associated with strategic products and markets. These range from research and development to market research, product planning, the able management of marketing functions, and sales effectiveness• part 6 concludes the book with an emphasis on mergers, acquisitions, and consolidations and the risks associated with an M&A policyChief executives, operating officers, treasurers, financial officers, budget directors, accountants, auditors, product planners, marketing directors, and management accounting specialists will find this book of practical examples helpful to their decisions and to their work.* Shows the factors to consider when planning how to take your company to the next level, from identifying and making strategic choices to capital allocation and financial planning. All from a professional accountant''s perspective and in their language* Full of case studies to help you relate your ideas to what other major companies have done before, including IBM, Delta Airlines, and Bloomberg - so you can learn from their success or failure* Shows why strategic cost control is good governance, why and how to account for the cost of risk and how IFRS relates to strategic accounting principles

Written for managers and professionals in business and industry, and using a minimum of mathematical language, The Management of Bond Investments and the Trading of Debt addresses three key issues:- Bondholder''s options, risks and rewards in making investments in debt instruments;- The dynamics of inflation, and how they affect both trading in the bond market, and investment decisions; and- The democratization of lending, socialization of risk, and effect of the global economy on the bond market.Financial expert Dimitris Chorafas discusses these issues in straightforward language for managers and professionals in commercial banks, securities houses, financial services companies, merchandising firms, manufacturing companies, and consulting firms, placing the mathematical treatment of the issues in the appendices, available for study but not necessary for understanding the business issues addressed in the book.- Focuses on new issues of central importance in bond and debt trading today- Uses clear, straightforward language for managers and professionals in business and industry, with mathematical treatment provided in appendices- Thorough treatment of operational risk new to books on this topic

Written for professionals in financial services with responsibility for IT and risk management, Dimitris Chorafas surveys the methodology required and IT systems and structures to support it according to Basel II. The book is consistent with the risk management certification process of GARP, as well as the accounting rules of IFRS, based on research the author conducted with IASB. The author provices an in-depth discussion of the types of risk, stress analysis and the use of scenarios, mathematical models, and IT systems and infrastructure requirements.* Written in clear, straightforward style for financial industry executives to provide necessary information for risk control decisionmaking* Consistent with GARP, IFRS and IASB risk management processes and procedures* Explains stress testing and its place in risk control

Both Accountants and Auditors are confronted daily with challenges associated with the evaluation of credit risk, market risk, and other exposures. The book provides up-to-date information on the most significant developments in risk management policies and practices. Accountants whose work under International Financial Reporting Standards increasingly involves risk control in their job will find this book of practical value with the inclusion of material on "how to" successfully design, implementation and use risk control measures. Designed specifically for accountants the book starts with the fundamental factors underpinning risk: volatility and uncertainty, and then shows how and why accounting, auditing, and risk control correlate. The themes covered in the book include: credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, investment risk, and event risk. * This practical handbook, complete with case studies is specifically aimed at accountants.* comprehensive information on how to develop, implement and use a risk management system * Covers credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, investment risk, event risk.

Public Debt Dynamics of Europe and the U.S., provides the evidence and implications of current policies by sovereigns and central banks, in dealing with the debt abyss. It brings in perspective the diversity of opinion reigning in modern economics and finance and outlines the themes which, among themselves, are defining the society in which we live.Our epoch has accepted the theory that leveraging is good for a person, a company or even a nation. This has led to the debt syndrome and its disastrous aftereffects. Throughout the book evidence emerges that piling up public debt can lead to an unmitigated disaster. This is demonstrated through case studies on Greece, Spain, Italy, France and the United States – in short, those western countries that nowadays have lost control of their senses and of their economy.This book uses real life examples, using case studies as evidence of good and bad approaches to social, economic and financial life. Live events also help as undisputable demonstrators of successes and failures in the search for solutions in getting out of the hole western governments find themselves. As Denis Healey, a former British chancellor of the Exchequer, once said: "The first law of holes is that if you are in one stop digging.- Provides insight and implications on the current policies of sovereigns and central banks- Uses real life practical examples and case studies on Greece, Spain, Italy, France and the United States- Examines developing countries, particularly BRICS, and their exposure to debt- Focuses on public health and the effects it has on the economy

Successful management teams can identify the cost and return derived from the implementation of new technology, and they can properly apply the technology toward gaining a competitive advantage. IT and business managers alike need a resource that enables them to prepare for future operating conditions, identify beneficial solutions, and use high te

The objective of this book is to provide banks and the financial industry at large with an analysis of what is and what is not a network at their service. The background to the book is electronic banking, and the foreground brings into perspective what has been done by forward-looking financial industries and the benefits they have achieved. While banking is today an industry, it cannot be satisfactorily compared to other industries as it operates too much by its own rules. Examples in the text have therefore been restricted to banking only and, more precisely, to the four generations of online financial networks which have evolved over the past twenty years in Japan. This book is a study addressed to the management of financial institutions. Computers and communications technologists will also gain from it both insight and foresight.

Being a member of the Board used to be a challenging job. It still is. But the nature of the challenge, the risk, even the professional qualifications required have changed. The book says how and why.

This book presents the reader with a complete and comprehensive picture of what is happening today in banks and other financial institutions in terms of expert systems implementation. In addition it helps in refining the reader's thoughts on how to build an environment for the successful implementation of expert systems in banking - and how to sell this concept to management including risks and opportunities.

This book addresses the changing role of networks and the evolving structure of an Infrastructure Superhighway. The requirements for leadership in telecommunications are reviewed from different viewpoints: Network operators, equipment manufacturers, software developers and user organizations. Emphasis is placed on multimedia and what multimedia solutions would mean to telephone utilities and endusers. Based on extensive research undertaken in Europe, US and Japan, Dimitris Chorafas identifies new domains of applications, presents the breakthroughs which have currently been achieved and outlines the systems solutions necessary to fruitfully exploit new technology.

Many professionals in the technology industry are seeking new solutions beyond the confines of the more traditional type software tools, network design solutions and distributed systems applications. The aim of this book is to provide for them a much needed upgrade of knowledge and skills by addressing the developing technical and business perspectives which have emerged from the deregulation of telecommunications, including issues connected to costs and tariffs. It also addresses a comprehensible introduction to the research, development and implementation of agents. Based on thorough research undertaken from 1993-96 in the United States, Europe and Japan, much practical material is included, with both comprehensive examples and case studies.

In order to achieve long-term profitability and assure survival for their companies, managers must be informed, imaginative, and capable of adapting to shifting circumstances. Practical decisions rather than theories hold the upper ground. Business, Marketing, and Management Principles for IT and Engineering supplies the understanding required to effectively manage an organization in an increasingly competitive global market. Using case studies, the book illustrates the principles, policies, and management practices used by some of the most successful companies around the world. The real-world case studies supply valuable insight into the range of issues that confront decision makers in business. By explaining how to develop effective strategies and business plans, the text supplies both the concepts and the tools to stay on track with those plans. It also: Explains how to evaluate the pros and cons of your organizational policies and how to effect policies for maximum synergyCovers product development, sales, marketing, pricing, and financial analysisIllustrates the right and wrong ways to implement the principles discussed, with case studies of hi-tech companies such as Apple, Google, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, Toyota, ITT, and Bloomberg Dimitris N. Chorafas provides valuable insight garnered over half a century of advising financial institutions and multinational industrial corporations. Dr. Chorafas explains how to develop competitive products and use pricing strategies to achieve an edge over your competition. He also includes case studies that examine the price wars in the computer industry. This book supplies a realistic look into the positive and negative aspects of various policies and whether or not current practices related to forecasting, planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling have produced th

A guide to managing cloud projects, Cloud Computing Strategies provides the understanding required to evaluate the technology and determine how it can be best applied to improve business and enhance your overall corporate strategy. Based on extensive research, it examines the opportunities and challenges that loom in the cloud. It explains exactly what cloud computing is, what it has to offer, and calls attention to the important issues management needs to consider before passing the point of no return regarding financial commitments. Illustrated with numerous examples and case studies, the book examines security, privacy, data ownership, and data protection in the cloud. It also: Explains how and why your company can benefit from Open Software and onDemand ServicesIdentifies various cloud providers, their services, and their content as a basis for evaluating cost effectivenessProvides authoritative guidance on how to transition from a legacy system to the cloudIncludes helpful tips for managing cloud vendor relationships and avoiding vendor lock-in Whether you’re already in the cloud or just considering it, the text provides the unbiased understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of cloud computing needed to make informed decisions regarding its future in your organization. The book’s strength is that it supplies authoritative insight on everything needed to decide if you should make a transition to the cloud.

Information technology auditing and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance have several overlapping characteristics. They both require ethical accounting practices, focused auditing activities, a functioning system of internal control, and a close watch by the board’s audit committee and CEO. Written as a contribution to the accounting and auditing professions as well as to IT practitioners, IT Auditing and Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance: Key Strategies for Business Improvement links these two key business strategies and explains how to perform IT auditing in a comprehensive and strategic manner.Based on 46 years of experience as a consultant to the boards of major corporations in manufacturing and banking, the author addresses objectives, practices, and business opportunities expected from auditing information systems. Topics discussed include the concept of internal control, auditing functions, internal and external auditors, and the responsibilities of the board of directors. The book uses several case studies to illustrate and clarify the material. Its chapters analyze the underlying reasons for failures in IT projects and how they can be avoided, examine critical technical questions concerning information technology, discuss problems related to system reliability and response time, and explore issues of compliance.The book concludes by presenting readers with a "what if" scenario. If Sarbannes-Oxley legislation had passed the U.S. Congress in the late 1990s or even 2000, how might this have influenced the financial statements of Enron and Worldcom? We can never truly know the answer, but if companies make use of the procedures in this book, debacles such as these – and those which led to the 2007-2008 credit and banking crisis – will remain a distant memory.

Based on an extensive research project done by the author in the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden, and Austria from December 1999 to June 2001, Enterprise Architecture and New Generation Information Systems focuses on four main themes: Next Generation Information Technology The Likely Technologies of this Decade Enterprise Computing The Internet as the 21st Century's Answer to MerchandisingWhile the majority of books presently available on information systems are written from the viewpoint of system analysis, programming, or common applications, this text: Brings to the reader's attention the importance of organization and infrastructure Presents a wealth of case studies to explain the need for reengineering and restructuring Details the latest advances which influence the implementation of advanced technologyWritten in a simple, comprehensive manner without specific prerequisites and data processing jargon, with concepts and case studies properly explained, this book addresses itself to practitioners in computer technology, telecommunications and software development, who are interested in acquiring skills through knowledge of the most advanced applications, tools, and methods, both present and coming. Enterprise Architecture and New Generation Information Systems will prove appealing to every person charged with planning, developing, applying, and delivering advanced information systems, architectural solutions, and programming products.

Presents a complete introduction to modern exchange markets and what to know in order to operate them effectively using trading systems, computer-based models and other analytical tools. Contains an in-depth explanation of the emerging structure of new international financial markets including insights into current electronic and global markets.

So far there has been only praise for globalization. However, the export wave of China’s manufacturing machine and, more recently, the Global financial crisis show that globalization has limits. Globalization, the internationalization of trade, and financial integration are having enormous implications for businesses as well as for the whole economies of countries or blocks of countries. In this book Dr Chorafas argues that research is now producing evidence that there are limits to such globalization and amalgamation and that these need to be better defined and understood if some of the problems now being identified are to be prevented from applying the brakes, or worse, putting the process into reverse gear. The author examines the impact on countries such as the United States and European Union of occurrences like China's emergence as a massive manufacturing platform and the distortions of trade that result, affecting countries' GDP and creating problems such as uncontrollable current account deficits. He also considers the effect of Sovereign Wealth Funds as new entrants on the scene. These, he argues, are seen by some as 'the Trojan horses of state capitalism', particularly in what he defines as the 'absence of a global sheriff'. Globalization’s Limits looks at the EU and the Euroland as a test of globalization. The conclusions Chorafas draws about the effect on member states of pan-European banking, and the Euro as common currency, have implications for Britain and for the rest of the world. Issues relating to missed opportunities and leadership beg questions such as 'Who, if anybody, is or should be in charge of global monetary policy?

It is no secret that Europe is currently undergoing a major economic and social crisis, so it is essential says Dimitris Chorafas that leaders of industry and finance within the EU, or doing business with the EU, know what is going on. What is it that threatens competitiveness and produces obstacles to providing a vibrant business landscape in the European Union? This book offers insight into the particular nature of the European cocktail of business and politics, explaining how that bears on trade and relations between, for example, continental Europe and the UK, across the Atlantic with the US, with Russia and with Asia. Dr Chorafas explains and critiques Europe's conflicting aims and what he describes as its wanting business plan. Case studies to illustrate the consequences for business of the deficiencies identified are included. With its mix of rigorously researched background and forthright argument, this timely book will satisfy those academics with an interest in the issues addressed and will also serve as a planning tool for business leaders and government executives trying to determine what they can do at enterprise level. The challenge is to survive and prosper in an environment where 'business is politics'.

Education, employment policy, and pensions are inextricably linked and critical to any sort of business or economic revival, let alone success, and all three are addressed in Education and Employment in the European Union. In the first part of this meticulously researched and highly informative book, Dimitris Chorafas argues that European educational standards, from primary schools through to universities, leave much to be desired. The author then turns to employment. Already affected by problems with education, employment is fettered by structural issues, ranging from inflexible labour laws to heavy social costs. Here, the author suggests what might be done to get employment moving again in difficult economic times. Employment and pensions work in synergy. In the final part, Chorafas examines the implications of and future for pension provision, taking a polyvalent approach which embraces state pensions, company pensions and the workings of pension funds - as well as healthcare issues and the longevity risk. The evidenced analysis of the three interlinked policy areas in this book identifies the issues and the relationships between them. The findings and suggestions will be important to business practitioners, business educators, government authorities, policy makers, consultancies and others either within or wishing to learn lessons from the European Union.

Every generation leaves both assets and liabilities to the next. Alert people can see we are going to leave our children and grandchildren with a nearly unsolvable test of energy supplies; waste polluting the air and water; and the appalling problem of a huge and uncontrollable explosion in world population. Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Business Competitiveness addresses itself to those having a professional, academic or general interest in these issues: - Energy sources, their nature and contribution, - Environmental problems associated to power production and usage, - Financing and control of energy-related projects and processes, - Future direction of agriculture produce now used as energy, - Complex social and technical issues resulting from lack of family planning - and, therefore, of demands for energy, - Impact of energy and an exploding population on pollution, - Truth and hype about the most talked about environmental subjects. In this fourth book for Gower, Dimitris Chorafas reviews Europe, America and Asia's energy needs in the coming decade, pointing out that current policies are inadequate at best, and more likely disastrous for the economy. Governments persist in having their own agenda and priorities as well as plenty of constraints and taboos, yet when he critically examines the challenges Dr Chorafas concludes that no government can solve all current energy problems by acting alone. The book confronts current thinking, and its after-effect on policies and practices. Readers accustomed to mainstream books and articles which blame fossil fuels for a deteriorating world environment will find this a contrary opinion.

Wealth Management has two themes: Private Banking and investment decisions regarding Structural Financial Products. Dr. Dimitris Chorafas examines in a rigorous way whether structured financial products are advisable investments for retail and institutional investors and, if yes, which risks they entail. As our society becomes increasingly affluent, and state-supported pension schemes find it difficult to survive, a growing number of high net-worth individuals, and families, have become retail investors - looking for ways and means to optimize wealth management, and Private Banking deals with these sorts of clients. Private banking also deals with clients that are institutional investors, such as pension funds, mutual funds, and insurance companies, as well as not-for-profits, foundations and companies explicitly set up for wealth management. Both institutional and retail investors are being offered by the banks they work with structured products. Typically, these are securities that provide them with a redemption amount, with may be either with full or partial capital protection, and some type of return. The book examines structured financial products, their polyvalent nature, and the results which could be expected from them.

Return on structural instruments, which are essentially derivatives, is paid in function of a specific investment strategy on selected underlying asset(s). This essentially means on the performance of the underlyings, obtained by asset managers, which may be banks or hedge funds, through purchase or sale of embedded options. But there are risks. Both risk and return from structured products are related to three main issues: the volatility of future value of an underlying, the uncertainty of future events, and the exposure of the product. Every type of investment is subject to market forces, and the more leveraged a portfolio is, the greater will probably be both the assumed risk and the expected reward. The fact that structured financial products appeal, or at least are being marketed, to both retail investors and institutional investors makes the dual approach deliberately chosen in this book most advisable. This book addresses all these issues in a practical manner with numerous case studies and real-world examples drawn from the author's intensive research.

Because it is based on intensive research, the book is rich in practical examples and case studies Addresses the growing trend towards the use of structured financial instruments in private banking Thorough treatment of structured financial products that keeps maths to a minimum

Written for managers and professionals in business and industry, this book helps the reader in: * Understanding what is and is not IFRS * Learning the complexities of IFRS implementation* Appreciating the contribution of IFRS to corporate governance The changeover from the mosaic of different heterogeneous national accounting standards to the International Financial Reporting Standards has not been easy. For many companies IFRS, and most particularly the concept of fair value in IAS 39, has amounted to a phase shift - which is prerequisite to achieving compliant financial reporting. The research conducted by Dr. Chorafas for this book, documented that the process of meeting IFRS requirements presents opportunities and challenges to all enterprises. As many companies have found out, abandoning the classical accruals accounting for marking-to-market their transactions and portfolio positions, has not been easy. The conversion process has affected several functions within the organization including balance sheets, P&L statements, auditing, risk control, information systems, and management accounting. This book is in made up of four parts: * Part One focuses on business competition, standards boards, corporate accounting, and IAS 39 * The theme of Part Two, is the implementation of IFRS, exemplified through case studies on task forces and practical applications * Part Three brings together IFRS and management accounting requirements, with emphasis on fair value. * Part Four addresses itself to the contribution IFRS can make to better corporate governance, and to rebuilding the balance sheet The book has many case studies based on actual experiences. These range from the implementation of IFRS directives such as hedge accounting, to developing practices of real-time balance sheets; the help provided by sophisticated accounting solutions help in stress testing; and a comprehensive definition of the role of the audit committee.* A clear and practical view of the complexities of IFRS implementation* Includes practical case studies from real-life companies going through the process* Pays particular attention to IAS 39 on Fair Value