The lifetime achievement award is in recognition of the august personalities who have defined banking in their countries, and whose influence and thought leadership in financial services has outgrown their respective markets. It celebrates vision, passion, and performance.

This award was presented by Senator Paul Sarbanes, author of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and formerChairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Mr David Eldon, former chairman, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and current chairman, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority.

The regional leadership awards celebrate vision and achievement in four key areas that are crucial for annual recognition. They represent the core top-level values of financial services--leadership, governance, and transparency--that are needed on a constant basis in financial services and are awarded annually. In addition, there is another award that takes the previous criteria but focuses specifically on a particular group of individuals that provide the most powerful source of ideas and passion: women in the financial services industry.

These awards were presented by Senator Paul Sarbanes, author of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and former chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and Mr David Eldon, former chairman, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and current chairman, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority.

The young banker awards are all about youth, passion, achievement, and identifying the leading bankers who will some day be the senior leaders in financial services who will take the industry to the next level. The programme identified 50 young leaders and named a regional winner, as well as 17 coutnry level winners.

The regional award was presented by Senator Paul Sarbanes, author of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and former Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Mr David Eldon, former chairman, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and current chairman, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority. The awards for country winners were presented by Sir George Mathewson, former chairman, the Royal Bank of Scotland and currently chairman, Toscafund.

Certificate for the cohort of the 50 outstanding young bankers of the Asia Pacific and Gulf region present in Hanoi were given by Philip Strause, International Resource director, The Asian Banker, former head, Financial Institutions Practice, Asia Pacific, Deloitte & Touche, and David Eldon, chairman, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority.

The Asian Banker Regional Business Achievement Awards

The regional business awards are not focussed on individuals but designed to recognise excellence in specific business lines and the teams that run these businesses. As the strengths and achievements of these teams change from year to year, as well as the visions of those running the divisions, the award is an important recognition of who has their fingers most firmly on the pulse of the industry at any given time.

These Awards were presented by Mr Kaspar Villiger, former President and former Finance Minister of Switzerland, and current Director, Swiss Re, and Mr David Eldon, former Chairman, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and current Chairman, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority.

The Asian Banker Supporting Industry Awards

The supporting industry award recognises the vital function that services like placement agencies give to the financial services industry. With the lack of talent often being the most significant inhibiting factor to the strongest banks' ability to grow, the support function is critical to an institution's success.

The award was presented by Mr Kaspar Villiger, former president and former Finance Minister of Switzerland and current Director, Swiss Re, and Mr David Eldon, former chairman, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and current chairman, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority.

All the winners of The Asian Banker Achievement Awards taking a group photo after the awards ceremony.