How can Asian banks leverage innovations like robotics, blockchain and robo advice?

Hear from EY's ASEAN fintech and payments lead Varun Mittal at the 2017 Retail Banking Forum Bangkok.

Varun has 7 years of experience in the fintech and telecommunications industry. He joined EY in 2017 and currently is based in Singapore. He has led a number of initiatives and programs for global financial services organisations focussed on merchant acquisition, operations and customer experience.

He will be one of the speakers at the Bangkok leg of the 2017 Asian Banking and Finance Retail Banking Forum which will be held on March 15 at The Conservatory Room, The House on Sathorn, W Bangkok. 

Know more about Varun with this brief Q&A:

What are your previous experiences and positions held that contributed to who you are as a banking expert today?
I started my career working as a software engineer at Gemalto writing software for credit cards and sim cards. Over the years, I have worked on technical and business side of the financial services industry. I also led the launch and deployment of wallet solutions in five markets in Southeast Asia for the largest payment and e-commerce group in Asia

What are your key business philosophies?
I strongly believe that there are lot of opportunities for startups and banks to work together to serve the underserved market. New technologies and business models have enabled financial services to be sold and consumed in ways like never before.

Can you give us a glimpse of what you will talk about at the Asian Banking and Finance Retail Banking Forum?
I’ll be presenting on the insights around the digital banking landscape and how it’s evolving in light of new technologies and business models used FinTechs in Asia, including Thailand. This includes the current consumer perception towards retail banks in Asia and how they remain relevant in this digital transformation age where customers are becoming more receptive towards alternative financial services providers.

With the rise of FinTech innovations, how do banks stay competitive and leverage innovations like robotics, blockchain and robo advice to help them in their digital transformation journey to retain and win over new customers.

Besides the presentation, I’m also participating in a panel discussion on the impact of digital banking on physical bank branches in Thailand. Thailand was also the first country chosen by Line to launch their payment services and ANT financial to make their first investment in ASEAN in Ascend Money. Thailand has become the first market in ASEAN to become a battleground for global giants bringing in technology, capital and new business models.

If you are interested to attend, you may contact Nikki Quiniquini at [email protected] or at +65 3158 1386 ext 238.

More information about the event can be found here.

The 2017 Retail Banking Forum will also be held in four other key cities across the region, namely Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Hong Kong.