Hong Leong Investment Bank begins customer-centric digitalization

PETALING JAYA: Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd (HLIB) is moving towards digital to focus more on client-centric capabilities, which it hopes to achieve in the first half of the year, Group Managing Director and CEO Lee Jim Leng (Picture) called.

“We are starting with a comprehensive digitization of our business and our strategies as well as our cost optimization models. On our Frontline site, we make every effort to use digital data.

“Today, data mining is becoming more and more important. We can use artificial intelligence and robotics to create more customer-centric models, such as B. Building a digital data warehouse to strengthen our ability to drive customer-centric products and services,” she said SunBiz.

“We are already in March and looking at the external headwinds. The US sees the likelihood of a recession. From our point of view, what will happen will have a contagion effect on the world and I don’t think Malaysia can say that we are isolated,” said Lee, who is “cautious” about the outlook for this year.

However, she pointed out that most companies are “happy” due to China’s timely reopening, which is beneficial for the country, leading to increased spending and potential investment from China, which could cushion the impact from the US.

Regarding environmental, social and governance (ESG), she observed that investors are slowly moving towards ESG-related trading, although she indicated that this would not happen overnight.

“Often we need to guide our clients on how we can help them move in the same direction and be a responsible equity broker.”

On International Women’s Day (today), Lee said women’s mindsets have changed compared to previous years when women were fighting for their rights.

“Today we are talking more about getting more women into the labor market, raising women’s awareness of the choices they can make in their lives, financial inclusion and taking women as far as they are committed to it should,” she added.

Lee said it’s important today to use this agenda to raise awareness that there are many mechanisms available to women to make progress and empower stronger women.

She said that most women tend to be more family oriented and feel guilty about having time to take care of their parents and children, which is the main obstacle factor.

“Today we have many options that we don’t have to compromise on. From that point of view, I think there will be many more women entering the labor market. Banking is no longer a male profession. In Malaysia, there is a large proportion of women in banking,” she noted.

Lee shared that HLIB’s workforce is 53.9% women. More than 20% are in managerial positions, the same proportion as men.

Her advice for those looking to get into banking is to learn and understand “what banking even is” before entering the industry as it will take a lot of perseverance to excel.

“Hunger, passion and love for the job are most critical. You must love what you do at core and the personality must match the job. Mapping is the most important part of the job,” she added.