House of the year, Malaysia - CIMB Group

It is always a formidable challenge to merge companies, but for Commerce International Merchant Bankers Berhad (CIMB), its integration with commercial banking giant Bumiputra-Commerce Bank Berhad (BCB), and subsequently Southern Bank Berhad (SBB), was a more gargantuan achievement than most.

First, there was the huge effort needed to merge an investment bank with two separate commercial banks, each with their own inherent cultures. CIMB, whose strengths lay in capital markets and investment