Gregory Carosin : “Employee experience directly impacts customer experience”

Appointed last year business transformation manager of this new department of abc banking corporation in Mauritius, Gregory Carosin focusses on the modernization of the bank’s operations, processes and technology by emphasizing operational efficiency, resulting in a more modern working environment for staff, and an enhanced customer experience.

ABC Banking Corporation created a department dedicated to business transformation last year. What is the aim of this initiative?

The aim of this initiative is to prioritize operational efficiency. The Business Transformation department leads strategic initiatives to improve and modernize the bank’s operations, processes, and technology. The goal is to accelerate digital transformation, resulting in increased efficiency, a more modern working environment for staff, and an enhanced customer experience.

The department drives initiatives related to digital innovation, such as developing and implementing online solutions for customers and employees, improving online and mobile banking platforms, and utilizing data analytics for better decision-making. We oversee projects from start to finish, establishing timelines, allocating resources and monitoring progress. Collaboration with internal and external stakeholders ensures project delivery within deadlines and budget constraints.

Additionally, the department takes responsibility for change management as implementing initiatives often require organizational changes. We work alongside the Human Resources team on projects like the company culture initiative, preparing employees for involvement in the transformation process.

Human resources and corporate culture are key elements in any organizational transformation process. At ABC Banking Corporation, what is your approach to building employee commitment?

When it comes to building employee commitment, we recognize that human resources and corporate culture are key elements in any organizational transformation process. We have adopted a comprehensive approach that emphasizes change management and company culture as core principles. We have collaborated with ABC Academy, the training and development arm of ABC Group, as well as external consultants to empower employees, encourage new ideas and projects aligned with the bank’s strategy. Project management training was also provided to enable employees to drive change from within, promoting engagement and development.

Moreover, we have embarked on the Employee Value Proposition project in collaboration with Engaged Solutions. This project focuses on enhancing and amplifying the employee experience at ABC Banking, reinforcing the company culture and fostering employee commitment and engagement. Recognizing that the majority of the staff are Gen Z and millennials, we aim at creating a working environment where employees can learn, grow, and make an impact. The new company culture motto, “Banking on you, let’s grow together,” encourages staff to unleash their potential, think differently, and embrace flexibility and autonomy. These initiatives contribute to a strong company culture that fosters employee growth, a sense of belonging, and a commitment to the organization.

The commitment of employees is essential for business transformation, and at ABC Banking, we are fortunate to have young and dynamic talents joining our teams. Building a corporate culture takes time, and we continue to launch initiatives ranging from staff welfare and wellness to recognition, flexibility, and new benefits, all of which further demonstrate our commitment through our motto “Banking On You, Let’s Grow Together”. I also believe that employee experience directly impacts customer experience. By offering the best experience to our employees, we are better positioned to serve our clients.

Talking about your clients, in what ways do you intend to better serve your customers?

Banking has evolved and the pandemic has probably accelerated the digitalization on many aspects. Customers want to have access to products and services from their home and consequently, there is an increased pressure for the IT and tech teams to develop and deploy online and digital solutions. The business transformation team coordinates with the IT Teams the design, development, and implementation of new solutions for the clients.

We are convinced that reviewing the way we work, automating and digitizing back-office operations will have a great impact on the front office and the customer experience. Our primary goal today is to make things easier for customers by providing faster responses, approvals and reviews alongside with our tagline #CountOnUs. ABC Banking wants to challenge the perception of Mauritians that think that banks are slow. For loan and leases approval, you’ll be positively surprised on the speed of our approval process. Additionally, we also launched E-signatures for all our customers last month to allow people to conveniently sign banking documents from the comfort of their home or office. This dramatic change improves efficiency for our bank and our clients, whether they are based in Hong Kong, Dubai or Mauritius.

There are many opportunities that can be brought by digital technology and artificial intelligence in the banking sector, but there are also risks associated. How can one manage the balance between these?

Digital technology and AI enable us to provide personalized services, creating a better customer experience. Internally for our bank processes, they also allow us to automate many tasks, reducing costs, streamlining operations, and improving overall efficiency. For example, when it comes to risk management and fraud prevention, AI can help us identify and mitigate risks through real-time monitoring and rapid response to potential breaches. In terms of data analytics, algorithms can provide valuable insights into customer behaviour, decision-making processes, and help identify patterns and potential fraud. However, the risks and limitations depend on the quality and security of the data we collect.

At ABC Banking, we are making a lot of efforts to make sure that the data we collect is clean, secured, and reliable. We recognize that protecting customer data requires robust security measures and compliance with regulatory requirements. Ethical considerations, such as the risk of bias in algorithms, potential discrimination and misuse of customer data, are also crucial factors to consider. That’s why we ensure that all our AI deployments are accompanied by strong cybersecurity systems, monitoring and ethical guidelines. By doing so, we can effectively manage the balance between leveraging technology and mitigating associated risks, safeguarding the interests and trust of our valued customers.