Risk in Trade Finance & Trade Finance Products

• Redcliffe has been training successfully for more than 20 years and this is one of our core competencies
• We are fortunate to have been appointed as master trainers to two of the world’s largest trade finance banks, both of whom are at the cutting edge of new and traditional trade finance methods so we are well aware of what is happening in the marketplace right now
• Your course director is a highly experienced practitioner who is still very active in the training and consultancy world and will pass on his experiences and observations during the numerous discussion sessions
• We do not use academics, only real-world practitioners
• The Risk in Trade Finance & Trade Finance Products course uses real-life case studies to bring the learning points to life and we can adapt these to meet the business profile of the delegates
• The two sessions are highly interactive with group discussion encouraged including the opportunity to bring current cases into the forum
• We are only as good as delegate feedback and so far this has always been excellent

• Understand why trade finance is generally low risk for credit losses – IF done properly
• Appreciate the range of risks involved in trade finance
• Understand the controls and mitigants available and how well they work in reality
• Be able to categorise risk according to client size and strength
• Appreciate the mechanisms of the working capital cycle
• Recognise that Structured Lending facilitates easier and closer control
• Appreciate why some structured trade finance lines can sometimes enable the bank to assist a weak or extended balance sheet
• Understand why trade finance is considered high risk for AML
• Be able to see risks in the round
• Be much better equipped to assess, consider and support trade finance propositions based on a comprehensive understanding of both the risks and the mitigants available

The trainer had a highly successful, long and varied “fast track” career in Lloyds Bank which led him to a very senior management position in the bank’s Corporate Banking  Division at an early age. He was then “head hunted” to join a merchant bank at main board director level. He now has over 40 years’ trade finance experience.

The trainer has been a freelance trade finance training consultant since retiring and is currently an external Master Trainer at HSBC, where he has delivered major trade and structured trade finance-related courses. He has also taught similar programs at Bank of China.

He is a highly adaptive, hands-on and highly sought-after trade finance trainer who always receives excellent feedback from delegates. He is comfortable training at any level of seniority and experience, from “black belts” to novices. In addition to his trade finance specialism, his expertise includes but is not limited to Risk Management, Trade Finance, Regulatory Compliance, FCC & AML and all aspects of Corporate, Private & Retail Banking. He is also a highly experienced soft skills trainer and has completed numerous “train the trainer” assignments.

Trade Finance remains the engine at the heart of global economic growth with China and the USA dominating in terms of importance.

Trade finance risk is an interesting paradox. It has always been a business area where if done well, credit losses are typically very low (mainly fraud, in practice), fee income opportunities are high and some of the products are very efficient users of capital. On the other hand, numerous Global Banks have made substantial losses in recent years lending to clients where on paper at least, the risks seemed low.  In addition, it is a very high-risk area for Financial Crime. It is estimated that as much as $2trillion is laundered annually, much of it using trade finance.

This practical and highly interactive Risk in Trade Finance & Trade Finance Products course is designed to assist trade finance practitioners in all three lines of defense roles, to understand fully what risks are involved and how to manage and mitigate them. It focuses particularly on risk assessment, delivery, need identification, and selling opportunities. The course encourages delegates to see issues from both the client’s and the bank’s relationship manager’s viewpoint.

Methodology:

Highly interactive workshop-style with detailed real-life case studies and examples. Delegates are free to bring their own cases/examples to the sessions.

Level of Preparedness:

Beginners are welcome although a working knowledge and understanding of the methods of financing International Trade would be helpful.