List of Diagrams Preface Acknowledgements Abbreviations Setting the Scene What is a Bank? Corporate strategy Analysis and Applicability to the Banking Sector British and German Banking: Case Studies The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Deutsche Bank AG HSBC Holdings plc Commerzbank AG Barclays plc HVB Group AG/ Bayerische Vereinsbank AG Lloyds TSB plc Dresdner Bank AG Conclusions Bibliography Notes Index

The author investigates the strategies of eight publicly listed banks in Britain and Germany in the context of European financial integration. Evidence is provided that banks with defensive strategies fared better than those which attempted to break out of a coherent financial system in order to embrace new business opportunities

SVEN JANSSEN is Vice President at Bank Sal. Oppenheim, Frankfurt, Germany. He has worked in investment banking since 1999, focusing on financial institutions and real estate. He studied at universities in France, Germany, the UK, and the USA and spent some time as a management consultant in Lausanne, Switzerland. Sven holds a PhD in Finance and Strategy from the School of Management at the University of Bath, UK