OF IT SO DO STAY WITH US.
JAM-PACKED SHOW THIS MORNING AND
WE KICK IT OFF WITH THIS TOP
STORY, NOT AMERICA BUT NOT
AMERICA ALONE, THAT'S PRESIDENT
TRUMP'S MESSAGE, HE HAS ARRIVED
IN D -- DAVOS.
HE HINTED LAST NIGHT AT WHAT TO
EXPECT FROM THIS TRIP.
>> THE ECONOMY IS DOING VERY
WELL, I'M GOING TO DAVOS TO GET
THEM TO BRING BACK A LOT OF
MONEY.
I MADE THE STATEMENT THAT IF WE
DIDN'T DO THE REGULATION CUTTING
WHICH I THINK IS ACTUALLY --
MAYBE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVEN
THE TAX CUTS, BUT THE
REGULATIONS I THINK MUCH
DIFFERENT SITUATION BUT OUR
PEOPLE ARE VERY HAPPY.
MARIA: BUT COULD PRESIDENT TRUMP
AMERICA FIRST.
RALPH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING WITH US.
YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR PRESIDENT
TRUMP?
>> IT'S A GOOD SIGN THAT HE'S
COMING, RIGHT, HE CLEARLY HAS A
POLICY THAT IS -- IT'S MORE
FOCUSED ON U.S. FIRST, CLEARLY,
THAT'S THE NAME OF IT AND YOU
SEE A DIVIDE IN THE WORLD WHERE
YOU HAVE THE EU, EXUK, CHINA AND
MARIA: LET ME ASK YOU, WE HAVE
YOU ARE ONE OF THE LEADERS IN
TERMS OF DIGITAL BANKING, WHAT
ARE YOU SEEING FROM THAT
STANDPOINT IN EUROPE IN.
>> WELL, YOU SEE PEOPLE MOVING
TO DIGITAL BANKING REALLY
QUICKLY.
WE GET HIGH APPROVAL RATES ALSO,
THEN THE AVERAGE PEOPLE SO YOU
SEE DIGITAL BANKING IS NOW
EMBRACED AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE
STRONG GROWTH, WE KEEP GROWING
BETWEEN 1 AND 2 MILLION
CUSTOMERS AIER AND OUR BALANCE
IT'S BASICALLY THE MODEL OF
WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, DIGITAL
RETAILER CAN DO BUT THEN TO
BANKING.
MARIA: WHAT ABOUT LENDING, WHAT
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT, THAT
COINCIDING WITH OPTIMISM?
>> YES, WHAT YOU SEE HAPPENING,
NOT ONLY IN EUROPE BUT ACROSS
THE WORLD, YOU SEE LENDING
PICKING UP.
WE ARE GROWING BALANCE SHEET
ANYWHERE -- WE ARE FOCUSING ON 3
TO 4% BUT FOR LAST COUPLE OF
YEARS WE HAVE BEEN GROWING 5 TO
6%.
ALSO THIS YEAR WE EXPECT
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT
YOU SEE LENDING BEING WELL
SPREAD ACROSS THE DIFFERENT
PICKING UP, CONSUMER LENDING
PICKING UP.
THAT'S ALL IN SUPPORT OF THE
ECONOMY, WHAT YOU SEE IS
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IS THE
HIGHEST SINCE 2001 AND -- AND
THE INDEX IS HIGHER SINCE 1997.
MARIA: WOW.
>> THE ECONOMY IS REALLY GOING
ON ALL CYLINDER AND YOU SEE
PARALLEL GROWTH IN ASIA, EUROPE
AND THE U.S., AND THAT'S UNIQUE.
WE SHOULD REALLY -- REALLY KIND
OF EMBRACE IT AND WORK WITH IT.
MARIA: DOES IT SURPRISE YOU THAT
MARKET BUSINESS IS JUST OKAY,
YOU HAVE SOME LENDING POCKETS
CAUTIOUS IF IT COMES TO
MUCH, WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THE
CRISIS AND NOT FORGET ABOUT
THAT.
THAT'S THE REAL IMPORTANT
COMPONENT.
ON THE CAPITAL MARKET SIDE, ON
THE ISSUING SIDE THERE'S A GOOD
BUSINESS, ON THE TRADING SIDE,
THE WHOLE THING, MARKETS ARE ALL
GOING IN ONE DIRECTION AND THE
MARKETS NUMB AND NOT JUST GOING
INTO ONE DIRECTION.
THAT'S WHY ON THE TRADING SIDE,
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY TO BE
MADE AT THIS MOMENT.
YOU LOOK ACROSS EUROPE, HAVE YOU
FINALIZED PLANS IN TERMS OF WHAT
YOU'RE GOING TO DO IN TERMS OF
LONDON BEING A HUB WHEN WE DON'T
HAVE REALLY CERTAINTY AND
CLARITY ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH
BREXIT?
>> YEAH, THIS IS A REAL ISSUE
U.S.
THEY HAVE A HARD STANCE AGAINST
EACH OTHER.
THE ONLY WAY TO PREPARE FOR THIS
IS TO EXPECT THE WORST AND
MARIA: HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
>> YOU MIX SCENARIOS THAT MAKE
IF THE -- IF THERE IS NOT A
TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN EUROPE
AND THE UK AND NOW REAL REAL
PLAYING FIELD THERE, A LOT OF
EXPERTS WILL BE HURT, BANKING
AND BANKING ACTIVITIES WILL HAVE
HAVE TO PREPARE FOR IT, SO YOU
DO BACK-UP LINES AND YOU MAKE
BACKUP PLANS.
MARIA: SO YOU HAVE BEEN DOING
THAT?
YOU HAVE TO DO THAT.
>> ON BOTH SIDES THEY WANT TO DO
THAT AND IN THE END THIS WILL
HAVING A REAL IMPACT ON THE
ECONOMY.
MARIA: REAL QUICK, GIVEN THAT
YOU ARE A LEADER IN DIGITAL
BANKING, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON
CHAIN.
BITCOIN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE
WE CUT BACK IN TIME FROM 24 DAYS
ACTUALLY I THINK WE CAN CUT FRIT
3 DAYS TO 1 DAY, YOU CAN MAKE IT
SAFER AND FASTER AND -- AND MORE
EFFICIENT SO CHEAPER AS WELL.
BLOCKCHAIN.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING.
WE HAVE DONE IT AND I REALLY
BELIEVE IN THAT AND THAT WILL
BRING EFFICIENCY TO GLOBAL TRADE
AS WELL.
MARIA: RALPH, WE WILL BE