William Westgate, a former senior VP of HSBC Bank and current director of Studies at London College of Management and Leadership, will be conducting training for mid and senior level bank managers in Nepal in August. Westgate was on a prep trip to Kathmandu and spoke with Nepali Times about the program.
Nepali Times: Why do you feel the need to conduct this training in Nepal? 
William Westgate: I have travelled to this part of the world several times and have seen the growth here. You see, banking is not just an industry; it is like the lifeblood of an economy and a healthy functioning banking industry. With this training we would like to bring good practices of western banking to Nepal. I understand we work in different environments and so we pick out the techniques that are appropriate for the socio-economic scenario, here.
What will this training constitute?
We will conduct three-day separate trainings for the mid and senior managers from the banks. Besides me, David Knapp, former executive director at CIBC world markets, and Darren Windsor, MBA lecturer at Monash University will be conducting the training. We will prepare for three months for the training. It is important to take a holistic approach. Our focus will be on management techniques, financial tools and effective sales methods. We want the participants to be able to use what they learn in our training so we will use practical methods, examples and visuals that will simplify the theories. Participants can also join a fourth day training that will give them a Chartered Management Institute Assessment certificate.
What is your impression about the banking sector after meeting several Nepali bankers?
The meetings have been fruitful and I've met some very capable bankers. There is tremendous competition within the Nepali banks, and while some may think things are moving too fast, this growth is essential in anticipation of the growth of other industries in the future. The loan demand exceeds deposits here so the banks have to invest in financial literacy to pool in money that is yet to enter the formal system. Financial literacy is also important to abolish the traditional system of hundi. The CEOs that I talked to were also eager to discuss issues of mergers and acquisitions and managing a bank's brand.
