It sold shares to western investors, invited Singapore's telecoms incumbent to be a partner, seconded executives from the talent bank, and, after years of losses, now runs the most profitable mobile operator in the country.

ECONOMIST: Conglomerates in developing countries

For instance, Nomura, an investment bank, has been hiring foreign talent in Asia this year, including teams from Caspian, a defunct investment bank.

ECONOMIST: Asian lending

The talent drift poses yet another headache for bank executives as they grapple with smaller profits, greater political scrutiny and an uncertain economy.

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The Talent Imperative, a just-released Forbes Insights report sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, points out that more than four in five executives recognize that having the right talent in place is critical to their growth strategies.

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Larger companies have easier access to bank loans, government support, larger customers, as well as better talent.

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In contrast to narcissists who are unmanageable, Talent will work with you if you realize that they want their insecurities, not bank accounts, attended to.

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Melissa Mounce, the company's senior vice president of corporate talent acquisition, says the company became concerned that its slow response time to applications was hurting its retail bank's brand.

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