ABC's Pan Gongsheng named Capital Markets Person of the Year

Pan Gongsheng, executive president of Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), was named Capital Markets Person of the Year for 2010 at our annual Achievement Awards gala dinner on February 17. He received the award for his hands-on approach in making sure that ABC’s record-breaking initial public offering was successfully completed within the extremely tight timetable set by the bank.

About 320 bankers, lawyers and corporate executives turned up for the black-tie event, which for the first time, was held at the Four Seasons hotel in Hong Kong.

In total, we handed out 51 awards at the dinner. Citi collected the awards for Best Commercial Bank and Best Bank, while the Best Investment Bank award went to Goldman Sachs for the first time since 2006. Goldman also picked up the plaque for Best Equity House, while Best M&A House went to Morgan Stanley and Best International Bond House to Deutsche Bank.

AIA Group’s $20.5 billion IPO was awarded as the Deal of the Year, as well as the Best IPO in 2010.

Making the most of having a room full of bankers in the middle of bonus season, we held a raffle and tombstone sale on behalf of the Grameen Foundation, which FinanceAsia has sponsored for several years through our awards dinners. The work done by the Grameen Foundation  -- which provides the world’s poorest people with microfinance services and access to practical technology to enable them to pull themselves out of poverty -- was outlined by William McGovern, a founding friend of the charity organisation and a partner with litigation and arbitration firm Kobre & Kim.

Goldman Sachs won the all-important quiz for the second straight year and collected a crate of champagne for its efforts.