Sanne Wass

The boycott of Qatar by four Arab countries has put the whole region on edge. So far, the small gas-rich nation has proved resilient, writes Sanne Wass.

A new world of open banking will see innovation blossom, but where does it leave the traditional banks? (GTR's Q4 2017 cover feature)

Nine European banks have taken a crucial step to making blockchain available to their corporate clients, creating a legal entity for the expansion of the we.trade platform.

She is one of the highest ranked females at HSBC, and the journey to the top has made her more adamant to fight gender bias. In the first episode of GTR’s new series about inspirational women in trade finance, Sanne Wass speaks to HSBC’s head of global trade finance Natalie Blyth.

Three international banks, three large corporates and four fintech startups have today announced a pioneering project that will explore how blockchain technology can be used to track physical supply chains while unlocking access to financing for sustainable sourcing.

Bitcoin continues to be the subject of much debate and controversy, but for many African companies the choice is simple. For them, the cryptocurrency is not at all related to anonymous black market business – it’s about enabling them to flourish. Sanne Wass speaks with Elizabeth Rossiello of BitPesa to find out more. “It’s like shampoo: you try it, it works, you use it.” It is with a smile that Elizabeth Rossiello compares bitcoin to shampoo when asked if it is hard to convince African busines

When Iranians re-elected Hassan Rouhani for president on Friday, the news was well-received among foreign companies looking to tap into the huge post-sanctions economy. But experts say the election of a moderate president will unlikely be a quick solution to the many hurdles of doing business in Iran.

Despite banking hurdles and geopolitical challenges, business interest in Iran continues to rise following the implementation of the nuclear deal last year. Nevertheless, entering the Iranian market is not without its challenges.

IBM and a number of banks have launched a new blockchain-powered solution to clear and settle cross-border payments, using cryptocurrency as a bridge between fiat currencies. The move could see cryptocurrencies integrated with IBM’s trade finance blockchain projects at a later stage.

For the first time since last year’s lifting of sanctions against Iran, two European banks have announced the signing of financing deals with Iranian banks, and more are ready to follow.

One month into the diplomatic spat between Qatar and a Saudi-led bloc of four Arab countries, ratings agency Moody’s has lowered its outlook on Qatar’s economy to negative. But while the boycott is significant and has been costly for Qatar, experts say it is well equipped to weather the worst economic consequences of the siege.

After years of isolation from the global financial market, economic sanctions against Iran were finally lifted on January 16, 2016, marking the beginning of a new era in Iranian history. Sanne Wass looks at how Iran is progressing one year on.

What's it really like to grow up in the Islamic Republic of Iran? I asked three young Iranian women to share their memories of gender segregation, wearing the hijab — and being an activist without even knowing it.

Beware: Siri, Alexa and Watson will soon be watching you. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, biometrics and blockchain are just the first seeds of a revolution that will take us into an era of robo-regulators and smart regulation. Sanne Wass reports on a future that is closer than we think.

In the years since the financial crash of 2008, an array of new so-called challenger banks have emerged, ready to shake up the world of banking. But, name aside, how much do these newcomers actually challenge the established players?

The gender pay gap, gender disparities within the ranks and employee defections are some of the most pressing challenges that need to be addressed by the finance industry today. But how do we tackle these urgent issues and unlock the full potential of women in the industry?

The collapse in global commodity prices has had a significant but varied impact on African economies.

With a growing black middle class there’s a whole new potential for businesses in the South African townships. But due to lack of recourses, local entrepreneurs struggle to start and develop their businesses.