The China Merchants Bank (CMB) was the first non-state-owned bank in China, and thus considered a trial case for China’s financial reforms. Founded in 1987 by the China Merchants Group, CMB had managed to survive, grow and compete with the large state-owned banks. It had successfully created a corporate culture of high-quality services and innovations over the years. This four part case series describes the transformation of CMB under Ma Weihua’s leadership beginning in 1999. By 2007, CMB was the most profitable bank in China, but new challenges still lay ahead. How to maintain the edge in a changing competitive landscape? How to avoid the usual traps that doom financial institutions eager to expand in tough times?
