Why technology alone isn’t enough: Maybank’s vision for the future
Charles Budiman, Chief Digital Officer at Maybank, will speak at the Qorus Reinvent Forum Dubai 2025. He spoke with Raheel Vakeel from Qorus about the challenges of digital transformation and shared his vision for the future.
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Charles Budiman, Chief Digital Officer at Maybank, will speak at the Qorus Reinvent Forum Dubai 2025. He spoke with Raheel Vakeel from Qorus about the challenges of digital transformation and shared his vision for the future.
Can you introduce yourself and give a brief overview of Maybank for those who may not be familiar with banks in the ASEAN region?
My name is Charles Budiman, and I have more than 28 years of professional experience in both the banking and management consulting industries. I currently lead the Digital Banking business at Maybank Indonesia, where I am responsible for driving end-to-end digital banking strategy, customer experience, and innovation across our retail and non-retail segments. Before becoming a banker, I worked as a management consultant for several reputable firms, mainly in Europe—I lived in the Netherlands for about 17 years. Outside of work, I’m a marathon runner and a certified running coach, and I often draw parallels between long-distance running and digital transformation—both require clarity of purpose, discipline, and unwavering focus on people.
Maybank is one of the largest financial institutions in the ASEAN region, with a presence in 18 countries and more than 45,000 employees globally. We serve over 28 million customers and are consistently recognized for our leadership in digital banking, customer experience, and sustainability.
Across the region, Maybank operates with a clear purpose: “Humanising Financial Services.”
This philosophy guides everything we do—from product design to customer support to the way we build technology. It ensures that even as we digitize, we never lose sight of the human needs that banking exists to serve.
In a world dominated by digital channels, how can banks humanize the customer experience, and what role should client advisors play?
As digital channels become the default touchpoint for customers, the real differentiator is no longer technology—it is human relevance.
Banks can humanize the digital experience by:
• Designing from real customer pain points, not internal assumptions
Digital interfaces must simplify people’s lives, reduce friction, and anticipate needs.
• Using data to create empathy at scale
Personalized nudges, contextual insights, and proactive recommendations show customers the bank understands them.
• Making digital feel conversational and intuitive
People don’t want to navigate systems; they want to get things done. Experience design should reflect that.
Even with the best digital tools, client advisors—especially those serving SMEs—remain critical. Their role is shifting from transactional processing to:
• Financial advisors helping SMEs make informed decisions
• Relationship builders who understand each business deeply
• Digital enablers guiding SMEs to use digital solutions with confidence
• Problem-solvers who step in when automated systems fall short
In essence: Digital delivers speed. Humans deliver trust. Both are essential to building long-term customer relationships.
Everyone seems focused on AI these days. Could you share how Maybank is using AI and highlight some of the innovative projects you’ve launched, whether for clients or staff?
At Maybank, AI is not a standalone initiative—it is embedded across our ecosystem to improve customer experience, efficiency, and risk management.
Key examples include:
• AI-driven credit scoring and risk modeling
Faster, more accurate assessments for SME and consumer creditworthiness.
• Automation of manual processes
RPA and AI-based document processing significantly reduce operational workloads.
• AI-enabled fraud detection
Machine learning models monitor patterns and detect anomalies in real time.
Our philosophy is simple: AI should augment human capability, not replace it. It enhances decision-making, speeds up processes, and frees our people to focus on higher-value work.
Several digital banks have recently emerged in Malaysia. Does this concern you, and how do you compete with banks that benefit from a completely new digital banking architecture? What are your key strengths?
The rise of digital banks in Malaysia—and in other markets—is a positive development. It pushes the entire industry, traditional and digital alike, to innovate faster and serve customers better.
Are we concerned? Not at all.
We see three key advantages that incumbents like Maybank bring to the table:
1 - Trust and brand strength
Banking is ultimately a trust-based business. Customers, especially SMEs, value stability, capital strength, and a proven track record.
2 - Rich customer data and deep local understanding
We have decades of behavioral insights, SME data, and on-the-ground understanding that digital-only newcomers simply do not yet possess.
3 - Omnichannel presence
Many SMEs still rely on in-person advisory for critical business moments—credit restructuring, cash-flow planning, expansion financing. Hybrid (digital + human) is a competitive advantage.
Our strategy to compete: We combine modern technology with human-centered design to ensure we solve real customer problems, not just build digital features.
In short: Digital banks have speed. We have scale, trust, and deep relationships. The winning model will merge both.
What is your vision for banking in 2030? Do you think banks are threatened by AI and “invisible banking”?
By 2030, banking will become increasingly embedded, personalized, and invisible.
Payments, credit decisions, and financial recommendations will move into the background—powered by AI, open banking, and contextual data. Customers will interact less with “banks” and more with integrated digital ecosystems.
But are banks threatened? Only if they remain static. AI will not replace banks. AI will replace banks that fail to reinvent themselves.
The winning banks in 2030 will be:
• Invisible in operations
Frictionless transactions, automated processes, instant decisions.
• Hyper-personalized in value
Services that adapt to each customer’s daily life and business context.
• Human in purpose
Even in an AI-driven world, customers—especially SMEs—will still seek advice, empathy, and trust.
The future belongs to banks that use technology to make banking simpler, safer, and more human.
Can you tell me more about the presentation you will be giving at the Qorus Reinvent Forum in Dubai?
I’ll be presenting on: “The need for a customer-centric mindset before embarking on digital transformation.”
The core message is simple: Digital transformation doesn’t begin with technology. It begins with deep customer understanding.
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