Dan Azzi is a former chairman and CEO of Standard Chartered Bank in Lebanon. He has also held executive positions for Bear Stearns in Hong Kong, Deutsche Bank in New York, Merrill Lynch in London, UBS in Auckland, and is a regular op-ed writer for several media outlets in Lebanon. He comments on Lebanon’s financial sector under the Twitter handle @dan_azzi. Diwan interviewed Azzi in mid-July to get his perspective on Lebanon’s volatile currency situation, the forensic audit of its central bank— the Banque du Liban—and the ongoing negotiations between its government and the International Monetary Fund.
A Country on the Precipice
In an interview, Dan Azzi discusses the many facets of Lebanon’s financial crisis.
More work from Diwan
Decoding LebanonLebanon is facing a series of simultaneous financial, economic, and political shocks. The country stands at a critical juncture, as hundreds of thousands of Lebanese have fallen under the poverty line in recent months. The protest movement that began in October 2019, following the previous government’s decision to raise taxes, is regaining momentum in spite of the lockdown from the coronavirus pandemic. The Carnegie Middle East Center will offer analyses of the multiple crises afflicting Lebanon, explaining their causes, characteristics, consequences, and potential solutions.
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Simon Karam’s Poisoned GiftThe negotiator will have a delicate task of preserving Lebanon’s eroding sovereignty and getting on with Nabih Berri.
Israel’s Ring of Buffer ZonesIn the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, the Israelis have transformed their neighbors’ borderlands to serve their own security interests.
A Path Toward Hezbollah’s Disarmament?As the government falters over collecting the party’s weapons, a process of constitutional reform may be unavoidable.
