PETALING JAYA: Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd (HLIB) is moving towards digitalisation to focus more into client-centric capabilities, which it hopes to accomplish in the first half of the year, group managing director and CEO Lee Jim Leng (pic) said.
“We are embarking on a full-fledged digitalisation of our business and strategies as well as our cost optimisation models. On our frontline side, we are trying very hard to make use of digital data.
“Today, data mining is becoming more and more important. We can build more client-centric models using artificial intelligence, robotics, like building a digital data warehouse to strengthen our abilities to drive client-centric products and services,” she told SunBiz.
“We are already into March and we look into the external headwinds, The US is looking at the probability of a recession. From our perspective, what is going to happen, there will be a contagion effect into the world and I don’t think Malaysia can say we are insulated,” said Lee, who is “cautious” on the outlook for this year.
However, she pointed out that most of the businesses are “happy” due to China’s timely reopening that is beneficial to the country, which translates into more spending and potential of investments from the latter which could cushion the effects coming from the US.
In terms of environmental, social, and governance (ESG), she observed that investors are slowly moving towards ESG-related trading, although she pointed out that it would not happen overnight.
“A lot of times, we have to guide our clients as to how we can help them move into the same direction as well as a responsible capital facilitator.”
On International Women’s Day (today), Lee said the mindset of women has changed compared with the prior years when women were fighting for their rights.
“Today, we talk more about empowering more women into the workforce, raising women’s awareness, in terms of the choices they can make in their lives, financial inclusion, and to progress women as far as they should champion,” she added.
Lee said that it is important today to use this agenda to raise awareness that there are a lot of mechanisms available for women to progress, to empower more strong women.
She opined that most women tend to be more family-oriented and feel guilt in regard to having time to care for their parents and children, which is the main hindering factor.
“Today, we have a lot of options that we don’t have to compromise that as well. From that standpoint, I think there will be a lot more women getting themselves into the workforce. Today, banking is no longer a masculine job. In Malaysia, there is a big proportion of women in banking,” she remarked.
Lee shared that HLIB’s workforce comprises 53.9% women. More than 20% are in managerial positions, the same proportion as men.
Her advice for those who want to enter banking is to learn and understand “what banking is all about first”, before entering the industry because it will take a lot of perseverance to excel.
“The hunger, the passion and the love for the job is the most critical. You must love what you do as a basic core and the personality must match the job. Mapping is the most important part of the job,” she added.
