CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: PROF. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

Business / Qatar Business

New technologies could ‘revolutionise’ Qatar’s banking industry: Commercial Bank COO

Published: 11 Dec 2018 - 07:01 am | Last Updated: 16 Nov 2021 - 10:57 pm
Dr Leonie Lethbridge (right), EGM, Chief Operating Officer  of Commercial Bank, speaking during the panel discussion at Euromoney Qatar Conference, yesterday

Dr Leonie Lethbridge (right), EGM, Chief Operating Officer of Commercial Bank, speaking during the panel discussion at Euromoney Qatar Conference, yesterday

The Peninsula

Dr Leonie Lethbridge, EGM, Chief Operating Officer at Commercial Bank, yesterday talked about how new technology can be applied by banks in Qatar, during a panel discussion at Euromoney Qatar Conference 2018.

Dr Lethbridge was participating in a panel discussion on the second day of the conference about how banks can use new technologies to improve the customer experience. During the panel discussion she spoke about how banks can apply technologies from the fintech sector, such as blockchain, to add value to customers.

Dr Lethbridge said: “There is an opportunity for banks in Qatar and around the world to use technology to provide great products and services that will help us to build even better relationships with customers by improving their experience of banking with us. It has the potential to truly revolutionize the sector.

“This evolution in technology, which today we call fintech, will become more important in the way we are doing banking now. Technologies like blockchain could hold enormous promise, and at Commercial Bank, we are actively developing our approach in how to use new technologies like this. “However, it is very important that banks understand how it can be used to create value. What should drive adoption around this is value created through offering new products and services, by improved efficiency, and through even better client experience, not the technology itself.”

Commercial Bank’s innovative application of new technologies is part of its work to support the realization of the goals of the economic pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030, specifically the development of a diversified and sustainable economy.

Dr Lethbridge followed Joseph Abraham, Group CEO at Commercial Bank, who gave a keynote interview at the conference on Sunday. During his interview, he talked about Qatar’s economic prospects in 2019 and international investor confidence in Qatar and Commercial Bank.

They both spoke at the conference in Commercial Bank’s capacity as Lead Sponsor.