Kuwait Financial Centre “Markaz” recently organized a case study based workshop for its Leadership Team and employees on “Winning through Digital Innovation” at the J W Marriott in Kuwait City. Bosky Subramanian, Chief Digital Evangelist at Eywa Media, hosted the interactive sessions and presented his insights on global Fintech trends with a focus on asset management and investment banking. The workshop aimed at refining Markaz’s position as a pioneer in driving innovation for growth through superior customer engagement, creative product solutions and operating efficiency.
Over the two days, the Leadership Team explored international and regional perspectives on the role of Fintech in cultivating both product and customer service innovation. The breakout team sessions inspired cross functional debates on how Markaz can best further strengthen its innovation mindset and also continue to circumvent barriers that can often stifle the adoption of change in organizations.
Manaf A. Alhajeri, CEO, Markaz said, “This two day workshop highlights Markaz’s ongoing commitment to technology led innovation and successfully building on our various leading edge investment products launched over the years. Many of these product innovations have not only contributed to the development of the financial sector in Kuwait but also fostered an overall environment of technological evolution amongst Kuwaiti companies and entrepreneurs. Our approach to Fintech is anchored on three clear stages: actively monitor evolving technology models, rigorously assess their potential value creation impact on Markaz and then finally to focus on successful adoption. With Fintech now providing access to various technology possibilities (such as Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain), Markaz is well positioned to move up the learning curve and to continue on its digital journey in becoming not only the most trusted but also the most innovative asset manager and investment bank in Kuwait.”
The workshop had a pragmatic format covering the entire digital ecosystem with discussion topics including the international Fintech landscape, digital wealth management, real estate technologies, challenges across customer engagement, the new product development process and customer journey design concepts. It also triggered idea exchanges on the cultural and mindset change required to think of the ‘art of the possible’ and the skill sets required to achieve these technology based transformations in practice.
Over the years, Markaz has always prioritized product innovation and the adoption of technology as competitive advantages. In line with this approach, the workshop debates and case studies importantly allowed the Leadership Team to refine Markaz’s digital vision to ensure its continued full alignment to the firm’s overall strategic direction and reinforce its role in delivering a superior customer experience across all service offerings.