The pandemic has stressed the importance of digitization in banking. Zambia National Commercial Bank had established a firm digital foundation before 2020 and has continued to build on it throughout the crisis, growing its customer outreach, increasing its profits and confirming its position as Zambia’s undisputed digital financial leader.
MCB, renowned for its longevity and supremacy in Mauritian banking, follows its vision of Success Beyond Numbers and incorporates three pillars of excellent customer-service experience: people, processes and technology. This one-stop shop for financial services is central to the region’s economic prosperity, as CEO Alain Law Min explained.
Innovation has opened financial avenues to the unbanked in South Africa, with Nedbank having committed itself to deliver products and services that add value to those living in the township economy. From its lending products to contactless-payment methods, Nedbank has unlocked the door to financial services for those most in need of them.
Colombia’s digital-banking maverick, Banco Davivienda, has strengthened its position through fully exploiting its app DaviPlata to meet the challenges imposed by the pandemic. By simplifying processes such as completing retail purchases to receiving government funds, DaviPlata has succeeded in financially including much of the population.
The Great Recession forced big international banks to re-evaluate risks and “de-risk” some overseas operations, guided by an augmented focus on AML and CFT compliance. Unfortunately for Caribbean banks, de-risking for the North American majors translated into trimming ties with them. Changing the perception that they are “risky” has not been easy for Caribbean bankers, but through resolute, concerted effort, the risk profile of the Caribbean banking industry is improving.
In a country known as a leader in the race to integrate digital technology into banking, Poland’s first internet-based bank, mBank, is at the front of the pack. At the heart of its success is a determination to match innovative solutions with customers’ best interests, with a special focus on maximising mobile and online delivery. mBank is being rewarded with exceptional organic expansion, as customers flock to this trendsetting bank.
For nearly 150 years, Belgium’s family-owned Degroof Petercam has held fast to its goal of actively taking care of its clients’ wealth and assets. For this progressive bank, “imagining tomorrow” is synonymous with creating an all-inclusive society in which everyone has a chance to thrive. In our interview, CEO Bruno Colmant and Group Head of Investment Banking François Wohrer describe how Degroof Petercam is transforming clients’ futures for the better.
The Philippines is one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic newly industrialized countries, and its banking sector continues to evolve within it. Robinsons Bank is one Philippine bank that is not content to stand still but has initiated a strategy for growth that is guaranteed to propel it to new frontiers. As RBank’s Roadmap 2020 transitions into Roadmap 2024, one can expect more milestones to be achieved by this forward-looking, enterprising bank.
The financial industry of Sri Lanka, South Asia’s island republic, has withstood its share of turbulence. Standing out is Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC, led by its vision to be the “most technologically advanced, innovative and customer friendly financial-services organisation in Sri Lanka, poised for further expansion in South Asia”. In our interview with him, CEO and Managing Director S. Renganathan describes how the bank is escalating its positive impact.
The current decade has not been kind to Greece’s financial sector, which has been beset by one crisis after another. And yet, from the rubble, a fully digital bank has arisen, the first in the country. In our interview, Praxia bank’s CEO Anastasia Sakellariou describes what it is like to create a bank with a vision to meet its customers’ needs solely through digital channels while remaining completely human.