As the world emerges from a pandemic which has seen both market dynamics and consumer behaviours change, CR2 (www.cr2.com), along with senior banking leaders and market influencers, tease out some off the key trends that they feel will impact and shape banks of the future.

The report, ‘The Bank of the Future’ looks at the post-pandemic challenges and opportunities for banks in Africa, the Middle East and Asia and hears from thought leaders Daniel Awe (Innovation Leader and Head of African Fintech Foundry Access Bank, Nigeria); James Koni (Seasoned Banking Leader and CEO); Fintan Byrne (CEO of Market-leading Digital Banking and Payments Platform Company, CR2); and Boye Ademola, (Partner and Lead for Digital Transformation, KPMG Nigeria) as they discuss the ‘digital first’ innovations that banks will need to adopt in these post-pandemic times.

We look into how the future will belong to banks that become early adopters of change and who recognise that their customers want to interact with banks who manage their finances quickly, intuitively and securely. Banks will need to have a ‘Digital First’ strategy in order to meet the needs of individual customers through Artificial Intelligence to provide value-added services that customers will demand.

Market segmentation and localisation will play an increasingly important role as change effects different regions in different ways. Banks who are already making the right moves have done so because they were prepared to seek the best advice, analyse future customer needs and respond not just rapidly, but intelligently.

The bank of the future, in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and globally, will have to make ‘Digital First’ and ‘Digital Transformation’ more than just buzz words.