Linda True

Analyst – ASEAN
Asia Program Coordinator

Linda True is an analyst and the Asia Program Coordinator in the Country Analysis Unit within the Supervision + Credit (S+C) Group at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. As the Asia Program Coordinator, she manages activities that facilitate the exchange of ideas on Asian and global banking and financial issues, most notably the Symposium on Asian Banking and Finance and the Asian Regulator Training Program.

In her capacity as an analyst, she researches Asian financial and economic issues and produces analyses of Asian foreign banking organizations. In addition, she monitors financial, regulatory, and economic developments in Asia, with a focus on Southeast Asia. Her research interests include financial sector development and regional integration.

Prior to joining the FRBSF, Ms. True was an international trade analyst in Bangkok with White & Case LLP and Weerawong, Chinnavat & Peangpanor Ltd. covering Thai, Indonesian, and Vietnamese economic policies and Asian regional economic developments, and working on trade remedy cases in Asia. She was formerly an assistant auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Bangkok, Thailand. Ms. True received her Master of Arts in International Relations concentrating in International Economics, Southeast Asian Studies, and Asian International Relations from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in 2004. She also completed her Bachelor of Science, majoring in Accounting and minoring in Finance from Thammasat University’s BBA International Program in 1999.

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Pacific Exchange Blog Entries

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Auditing the Auditors in Asia

Posted January 6, 2017

Even the best financial regulation can be undone by faulty or inaccurate financial reporting. Accounting regulatory regimes, which include auditor oversight, are critical in ensuring that the plumbing of the financial system works and ultimately the stability of the economy.

Pacific Exchanges Podcasts

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Posted May 13, 2021

In episode nine of Financial Inclusion & Beyond, we spoke with Grovetta Gardineer, the Senior Deputy Comptroller for Bank Supervision Policy at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. We discussed lessons learned from the COVID crisis, financial inclusion challenges here in the United States, as well as the role public policy and regulation should play.

Posted April 26, 2021

In episode four of our series Financial Inclusion & Beyond, we spoke with José Quiñonez, the founding chief executive officer of Mission Asset Fund (MAF). José talked to us about how MAF is helping those that have typically been left out get integrated into the formal financial system. MAF is drawing on the rich tradition of lending circles to help the low-income and immigrant communities develop a credit history and join the financial system.

Posted April 19, 2021

In episode two of our series Financial Inclusion & Beyond, we spoke with Greta Bull, the chief executive officer of CGAP, an expert in development finance, primarily focused on small and medium enterprise finance, microfinance, and digital financial services. We discuss the history of financial inclusion efforts around the world and the evolution of the financial inclusion movement, the micro and macro effects of inclusion, and lessons learned from various efforts around the globe.

Posted April 2, 2019

In this episode, we continue our ongoing Rethinking Asia series with Louis Kuijs, the head of Asia Economics at Oxford Economics. Louis’ career has focused on banking, macroeconomic, and policy issues in China. We spoke to Louis about the trade U.S.-China trade tiff. He shared his thoughts on economic and structural effects of evolving international trade patterns, China’s path to further integrating into the global financial system, and broader consequences for the U.S.-China relationship.

Posted November 23, 2018

In this episode of Rethinking Asia, we spoke with Frederic Neumann, Managing Director and Co-Head of Asian Economic Research at HSBC. Our exchange began with the complex economic dynamics at play between China and ASEAN members. We learned why intra-Asian trade is expected to increase as more trade agreements are signed within Asia, and how Belt and Road investment can best help Southeast Asian economies.

Posted October 2, 2017

We spoke with Supavud Saicheua, Head of Economic Research at Phatra Securities, about Thailand’s role in the Asian financial crisis. In our conversation, Supavud discusses the economic and financial risks that developed in Thailand during the 1990s and how they led to the crisis. He also explains how the Thai economy has changed in the decades since the crisis and what risks remain today.

Asia Focus Publications

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Burma – Paving the Road to a Modern Banking System

Posted June 24, 2015

This Asia Focus report provides a historical background of Burmese banking crises, analyzes recent and upcoming regulatory reforms, and evaluates hurdles to the development of a modern banking system.

Challenges in Global Finance: The Role of Asia

Posted September 1, 2012

On June 11-12, 2012, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (FRBSF) held its fifth Conference on Asian Banking and Finance in San Francisco, entitled “Challenges in Global Finance: The Role of Asia.” Conference participants discussed how the ongoing economic and financial uncertainties in Europe will impact the Asian economies, banking sectors and trade flows; and how Asian banks and financial institutions themselves are addressing these issues.

Accounting Regulatory Architecture in Asia

Posted April 1, 2012

Accounting regulatory regimes play a critical role in ensuring the reliability of financial data and the credibility of a company, and ultimately in supporting the stability of an economy. Prompted in part by the U.S. actions taken pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, many Asian economies have established similar regulatory bodies and standards for their domestic accounting industry.