Foreword from Raghu Narain

We are delighted to publish the 12th issue of the M&A Pulse in APAC magazine with a special sporting theme as a nod to the recent success of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024.

I have been fascinated by the excellence and achievement represented in the Olympics. My earliest memories of watching the Olympics go back to 1980 in Moscow and LA in 1984 on TV in India. Since then, it's been a personal dream of mine to attend the Olympics in person, which I was able to accomplish for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

I was grateful to meet many current and past athletes and asked them all the same question -- what is behind their success? They all shared similar themes; hard work, resilience, grit, getting up after falling down and having an active support team behind them.

Behind every win are numerous losses, yet every Olympian has overcome fear, self-doubt and adversity.

As I went through the whole experience, which left an indelible mark on me, words like courage, determination, manifesting, believing, excellence, hard work, grit, resilience, perseverance and talent came to me from which I draw inspiration for my personal and team's collective pursuits at Natixis CIB, as well as our boutique partners.

I hope you enjoy the insights from us in today’s newsletter!

Best regards,

Raghu Narain, Head of Investment Banking, Asia Pacific, Natixis CIB