Working Lives Yangon: Banker

Nang Kham Noung has been destined for Myanmar's top table since birth. Her father is the well-connected founder and chairman of the country's biggest bank KBZ.

After studying in Singapore, London and Qatar, Marlene, as she prefers to be called, was summoned back to Yangon by her father and at the age of 24 became the fresh-faced executive director of KBZ Group.

Cash is still king in Myanmar - a legacy of a run on the country's private banks in 2003 - so branch offices are piled high with blocks of banknotes.

"We have just reintroduced cards so it's taking time to rebuild confidence in the system," she says.

Until recently sanctions meant the Burmese financial system was effectively cut-off from the international network. That is slowly changing.

Cash machines in Myanmar accept foreign cards but transactions between western and Burmese banks are still complicated.

"It's getting easier every day", Marlene says. "But it's still more difficult than in other countries because international banks are just getting to know us again and they have their own compliance policies."