APAC Banking Titans 2024 – Purpose-driven innovation

Summary

Asia-Pacific's largest banks are increasingly judged not only on profitability but on how well they serve every stakeholder in their ecosystem, from customers and employees to partners, shareholders and the planet. A benchmarking study of 55 leading regional banks explores how these institutions are evolving into technology-driven companies while pursuing purpose-driven innovation, a balanced approach to growth that ties financial performance to broader social and environmental impact.

Artificial intelligence sits at the center of this transformation. Across the region, banks are deploying AI to personalize customer interactions, automate decision-making and support employee productivity, with several institutions building proprietary generative AI tools for staff and customer-facing use alike. Digital-only banks are emerging as credible competitors to incumbents, cloud migration is accelerating operational agility, and physical branches are being reimagined as experiential hubs rather than pure transaction points.

Beyond customer experience, the research examines how banks are investing in employee wellbeing and continuous learning, building open API ecosystems and marketplaces that connect banks with fintech partners, and integrating sustainability into core operations through energy efficiency, community investment and charitable programs. Together, these five pillars, customer experience, employee experience, partner experience, planet impact and shareholder value, offer a framework for understanding which institutions are best positioned to lead as banking continues its shift toward technology-centered, purpose-driven business models.

• Benchmarking across five stakeholder pillars
• Generative AI tools for staff productivity and customer engagement
• API developer portals and fintech marketplace partnerships

Which of Asia-Pacific's banking giants are proving that purpose and profitability can reinforce rather than compete with each other?