Postcard from Davos. Day Two. CEOs admit to feeling good about 2018
Okay, the snow and the Trump countdown have been sucking up a lot of Davos’ air in the past 48 hours but because we’re Reuters, we have been talking to CEOs about what they’re expecting from their businesses in 2018. Here’s a sampling:
Tony Fernandes, the CEO of budget airline group AirAsia Bhd, said rising demand will mean he’ll be adding 30 jets this year as he finds growth in a few new markets. “We’ve been able to get the Philippines and Indonesia really rocking, turning them into little gems,” he told Reuters TV
Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo is cleaning up its balance sheet with an eye on cutting its $66 billion pile of bad loans, almost 14% of the loans CEO Carlo Messina’s bank has outstanding.
Another EU banking chief, Societe Generale’s Frederic Oudea declares that he’s “starting the year with optimism” because market conditions will translate into growth in structured products and European equities and bond businesses.