Mike Breen, Chief Commercial Officer at audax
with Mike Breen, audax
Mike Breen reflects on a shift in industry conversations, noting that banks are no longer focussed solely on transformation, but on the measurable impact of that transformation. This includes outcomes such as return on equity, improved execution and better customer experiences.
He explains that customer relationships with banks have fundamentally changed. Where loyalty was once driven by necessity, it is now more transactional, requiring banks to remain relevant by delivering value at the right moment.
Breen highlights that one of the biggest challenges facing banks is balancing change with risk and profitability. Regulatory requirements and compliance add significant complexity, making transformation difficult to execute at speed.
He also stresses that transformation should not be treated as a fixed programme. Instead, banks must adopt a mindset of continuous evolution across technology, processes, governance and people. This includes leveraging tools such as AI to improve efficiency and reduce costs, while ensuring proper governance to manage risk.
Looking ahead, he suggests that success will depend on a bank’s ability to attract talent, evolve quickly and meet customers where they are, rather than relying on traditional brand strength. He also identifies SMEs as a major opportunity, particularly in Southeast Asia, where they remain underserved despite growing demand.
Danielle Szetho, Head of Digital Assets Portfolio and Governance at Standard Chartered
with Danielle Szetho, Standard Chartered Bank
Danielle Szetho discusses the rapid acceleration of digital assets adoption across Asia. She explains that the region is now at a pivotal stage, with increasing activity around stablecoins, central bank digital currencies and tokenised deposits.
A key theme is the growing interest in local currency stablecoins. Governments and institutions are exploring these as a way to address concerns around monetary sovereignty and the dominance of US dollar backed stablecoins. This has led to increased investment in supporting infrastructure, including custody, payment rails and regulatory frameworks.
Szetho highlights how stablecoins are moving beyond crypto trading into real world use cases. These include cross border payments, supply chain transactions and treasury management for multinational corporations. As adoption increases, more businesses are seeking institutional partners to manage these assets securely.
She also discusses the development of agentic technologies within banking. These systems use AI to enable conversational interfaces for tasks such as treasury management. However, implementing these solutions requires new API structures and robust governance frameworks to ensure security and compliance.
Looking to the future, Szetho sees a convergence between digital assets and AI that could reshape commerce. Faster, lower cost transactions combined with agent driven interactions may enable new models such as pay per use services and micro transactions, fundamentally changing how financial services operate.
Sajal Bhatnagar, Director of Retail Business and Chief Digital Officer at Allo Bank
with Sajal Bhatnagar, Allo Bank
Sajal Bhatnagar explores the opportunities and challenges of digital banking in Indonesia, a market characterised by a large, digitally connected yet underbanked population.
He explains that Allo Bank’s approach is built around partnerships and ecosystems, allowing the bank to reach customers more efficiently while leveraging existing trust and transaction volumes.
Bhatnagar challenges the distinction between fintechs and traditional banks, describing it as a continuously shifting boundary. While banks operate within stricter regulatory frameworks, fintech innovation often leads the way before being adopted more broadly across the industry.
On scaling digital banking models, he emphasises the importance of unit economics and realistic assumptions. Success depends on delivering value at each step of the customer journey, rather than relying on long term projections that may not materialise.
Embedded finance plays a central role in this strategy. Bhatnagar outlines three key benefits of partnerships: access to customers, access to data and access to technology. If these are not achieved, profitability at the transaction level becomes essential.
He concludes by highlighting that financial inclusion is not a single outcome but an ongoing journey. Advances in data and technology are enabling more personalised and accessible services, allowing banks to move towards more tailored solutions for underserved populations.
Moritz Gastel, General Manager at Tala Financing
with Moritz Gastl, Tala Financing
Moritz Gastel provides insight into Tala’s mission to expand access to credit for underserved communities, particularly in emerging markets such as the Philippines.
He explains that Tala focuses on customers who are often excluded from traditional financial systems, including small business owners and informal workers. By using data driven underwriting, the company is able to offer credit where it was previously unavailable.
A key factor in Tala’s success is the use of real time data to make instant lending decisions. Speed is critical for customers who need immediate access to funds, whether for business operations or personal emergencies.
Gastel notes that while data is becoming more widely available across the industry, competitive advantage lies in accessing unique and proprietary data sources. This enables more accurate credit assessments and supports deeper market penetration.
Looking ahead, he sees digital transformation improving financial inclusion through increased data availability and government support. As more customers gain a digital financial footprint, lenders will be able to offer more tailored products and reduce the cost of risk, ultimately improving access and affordability.
Summary
Across these discussions, a clear narrative emerges: the financial services industry is moving from building infrastructure to delivering tangible impact.
Whether through continuous transformation in banking, the rise of digital assets, the expansion of embedded finance or the use of data to improve financial inclusion, success depends on practical execution.
Technology remains a critical enabler, but its value lies in how effectively it is applied to real customer needs. Organisations that can balance innovation with governance, and scale with relevance, are best positioned to lead the next phase of financial services.
