Digital transformation: explore, leverage and grow with HSBC

Panel discussion on corporate tech transformation with HSBC regional team and Jayantha Peiris, Chief Information Officer, MAS Group, Sri Lanka

Technology is a definite game changer in achieving a competitive advantage in today’s increasingly digital climate. So is a technologically-empowered workforce. With technology and regulation leading to much more open banking frameworks across the world, corporate entities tend to have higher expectations for their financial partners. As a result, traditional methods, including resource planning and cash management, have come under pressure. 

On 7 August, HSBC Sri Lanka showcased HSBC’s cash management proposition and digital capabilities at an event themed ‘ERP and Technology: Explore, Leverage, Grow’. HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives CEO Mark Prothero, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives Head of Wholesale Banking Stuart Rogers, HSBC Asia Pacific Regional Head of Client Management, Global Liquidity and Cash Management (GLCM) Jason Tan, and HSBC Asia Pacific Senior Vice President – Client Integration, GLCM Gary Tsang took the opportunity to interact with close to 150 clients who attended the event. 

“We are living in an age of digital transformation, and the financial services industry is certainly no exception. Therefore, it is critical that corporates choose the right partner to collaborate with in their journey of technological transformation in order to achieve sustainable growth,” said Mark Prothero, welcoming clients to the event. “As a financial institution, our core purpose is to safeguard our customers’ money and in this changing innovation landscape, it is essential that banks deploy the best technology to improve the customer experience.  At HSBC we are doing just that.” 

Jason Tan said:  “Digital is a top priority for us. We have been investing heavily in technology to extend our digital agenda and remain committed to doing so. Whilst investment in technology is key, the defining difference of the HSBC digital agenda comes from the fact that we also continue to invest heavily in our people as well as systems and technology. It is this combination that gives us the edge in effectively collaborating with our clients in their digital transformation journey.”

The keynote speech, delivered by Pushkar Bhatt the India Market Unit Lead for SAP S/4 HANA, focused on the concept of ‘the intelligent enterprise’, outlining the real capacity and the capability of ‘going digital’. The guest speaker of the evening, Gary Tsang elaborated on the role HSBC plays in a client’s digital transformation journey. The speeches were followed by a panel discussion.  The panel, moderated by HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives Head of GLCM Dilshan Perera, included Jason Tan and MAS Group, Sri Lanka, Chief Information Officer Jayantha Peiris, as well as Gary Tsang and Pushkar Bhatt. The discussion covered topics such as the need for corporates to explore and understand the role of technology in their digital transformation journey, collaborating with the right partners, educating stakeholders on the subject matter, and the role HSBC can play in their transformation journey.

HSBC continues to invest in technology that will impact the financial services industry. Mobile, artificial intelligence, biometrics and blockchain are some of the technologies the Bank is focusing its investment strategy on to create a better customer experience. Move Money, HSBCnet TouchID, HSBCnet Plus and HSBCnet are some of the digital tools that HSBC has rolled out in the Sri Lankan market for cash management. Globally, among many other digital initiatives, HSBC participated in the first scalable blockchain transaction in May this year. Whilst it will revolutionise the way global trade is conducted, from a cash management point of view it will improve payment transparency as well as efficiency within a cross border payment flow.