The Asian Bankers Association (ABA) and Qorus, an ABA Knowledge Partner, would like to thank you for participating in the webinar on Innovation Trends in Retail Banking: Rethinking Banking as a Business of Dreams held on 30 September2025.
Hereunder is a summary of the session:
(1) Presentation Summary
The feature presentation was delivered by Mr. Lubomir Olach, Director of International Development & Member Relations at Qorus, with moderation from Mr. Jan Uriga, Senior Advisor at Qorus. Drawing from Qorus’ Global Innovation Awards, Mr. Olach highlighted how banks worldwide are redefining retail banking to inspire customers and help them pursue their dreams.
Qorus, formerly known as EFMA, has collected more than 8,000 innovation cases since 2013, offering unique insights into how banks can adapt to global challenges. Olach emphasized that banks, in a world marked by uncertainty, must go beyond transactions and reconnect with their purpose as platforms of possibility. By enabling customers to dream — whether through inclusion, segmentation, sustainability, or AI — financial institutions can remain relevant and future-ready.
The session showcased global examples of innovation. From Europe, EasyBank in Italy engaged young digital customers with personalized features, Danske Bank advanced inclusive recruitment, and Bloom Money in the UK promoted community-based saving circles. In Belgium, BNP Paribas Fortis created a rent-to-own housing solution, while Morocco’s Attijariwafa Bank launched a pan-African fintech accelerator, and the U.S. fintech Charlie served retirees with early access to benefits. Other cases highlighted wealth management tailored for women, gamified savings for children, and AI-powered investment platforms.
Sustainability and ESG were also presented as central to future banking. KBC in Belgium developed an ecosystem for smart, sustainable living, Commonwealth Bank of Australia provided digital sustainability and welfare tools, and El Banco BVE leveraged blockchain for charitable donations. These cases reflected how banks can strengthen trust by addressing societal and environmental needs.
Finally, the discussion explored artificial intelligence as a driver of transformation. Banks such as Intesa Sanpaolo (virtual assistant Alice), NatWest (financial wellness programs), and JP Morgan (AI-enabled investing) are using AI to personalize services, expand accessibility, and create new value. Non-financial innovations like AI diagnostics and instant translation reinforced how rapidly these technologies are changing customer expectations.
Mr. Olach concluded that banks must rethink their identity — from institutions that process transactions to partners that inspire and enable customers to achieve their visions. By aligning innovation with human aspirations, banking can become truly a “business of dreams.”
Key Takeaways
- Banks must evolve from transactional service providers to enablers of dreams, fostering inclusion, inspiration, and customer empowerment.
- Segment-specific innovation — from youth to seniors — is vital to addressing diverse financial needs in a personalized way.
- Sustainability and ESG initiatives can strengthen customer trust while contributing to social and environmental goals.
- Artificial intelligence is transforming banking into a more personalized, accessible, and visionary industry.
(2) Panel Discussion Summary
The panel discussion between Lubomir Olach and Jan Uriga of Qorus focused on practical examples of innovation in retail banking, often inspired by other industries. Banks have adopted models from agencies, entertainment, and retail to improve customer services—such as offering end-to-end support for entrepreneurs, gamified savings tools for children, and Banco do Brasil’s engagement of young customers through gaming platforms.
African cases illustrated how innovation can drive both commercial and social impact. Standard Bank’s award-winning hyper-personalization program replaced segmentation with customer-level targeting across 13 countries, while its “OneFarm” platform connected small farmers to major buyers and redistributed surplus food to communities in need.
Artificial intelligence was highlighted as a key enabler, streamlining KYC and onboarding, sometimes cutting setup times to minutes, with Thai banks serving as good models. AI’s role in fraud detection and customer experience was further supported by joint research from Qorus and AWS.
The discussion stressed that community banks can stay competitive by focusing on deep personalization and local engagement. Umpqua Bank in the U.S. and CaixaBank’s “Imagin Café” in Spain showed how branches can evolve into community hubs, supporting young people, entrepreneurs, and social activities.
Finally, the speakers noted the rise of non-bank players like Starbucks and airlines, whose loyalty programs function as financial ecosystems. For banks, the lesson is to strengthen partnerships, loyalty, and innovation metrics such as Customer Lifetime Value and earned growth.
In conclusion, Olach urged banks to keep dreaming, embrace ecosystems, and put customers at the center to remain resilient in a fast-changing industry.
Key Takeaways
- Innovation comes from beyond banking – Cross-industry practices like gamification and ecosystem services inspire new financial products.
- Personalization and community focus matter – Smaller banks can win loyalty by delivering hyper-local and customer-specific experiences.
- AI and partnerships drive transformation – From KYC to loyalty, banks must leverage AI and strategic alliances to stay competitive.
The presentation file was available to ABA members only.
The video recording of the webinar is available at the ABA YouTube channel.
