The Banking Executive Magazine - February 2023 Issue

Burgan Bank Kuwait added Sheikh Abdullah. T AKING THE LEAD WITH A PROACTIVE ESG COMMITMENT Commenting on the bank’s ESG commitment, Sheikh Abdullah added: “Burgan has adopted a proac- tive and comprehensive approach to sustainability as well as environmen- tal, social and governance (ESG) management, since its earliest day. At the core of our ‘driven by you’ philosophy is a commitment to de- liver greater value to our people and our communities – beyond simply our role as financial providers. The goal remains simple: amplify our positive impact and minimize any negative environmental impact we may have. This year, we further ex- panded the scope and mandate of our ESG framework, and reaffirmed our commitment to creating better solutions for a more sustainable fu- ture.” A YEAR OF EVOLUTION AND DIGITAL SUCCESS According to Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Burgan Bank, Mr. Ma- soud M.J. Hayat, the retail evolution for the Bank, with its central theme of digitalization – saw tremendous progress in 2022. “This comes as a result of our com- mitment to implement our long-term digital transformation strategy, which aims to focus on providing the best, safest and most convenient banking experience for our customers. In 2022, Burgan Bank launched several features and service upgrades on its mobile application, which currently stands as the highest rated banking app in Kuwait. This included the in- troduction of its Electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) form, the “Apply Now” feature for products, as well as strategic design and function upgrades, to deliver convenient and advanced virtual banking experience to our customers. Additionally, Bur- gan’s digital innovations were also rolled out to our corporate clients as the Bank further enhanced its inno- vative cash management digital plat- form. A PEOPLE-CENTRIC STRATEGY AT EVERY LEVEL On the human capital front, Burgan Bank’s investment in its people is ho- listic and long-term, according to Mr. Hayat, who added: “Our people are integral to our strategy, as we seek to drive our financial performance. Bur- gan’s service evolution and digitali- zation journey require high- skilled, empowered and technically trained workforce. Therefore, we have dedi- cated considerable resources to up- skill our employees and endow them with the agility needed to be able to face that transformation.” As part of its talent development ef- forts, Burgan offers flagship programs internally and in partnership with renowned universities such as Har- vard, Berkeley, Columbia Business school and INSEAD to enhance the knowledge and capability of its tal- ent. Burgan Bank has also broadened its approach to learning with the in- troduction of its flagship Ro2ya pro- gram. The strategic talent program is designed to be an industry-leading national talent development plat- form, aiming to empower and foster the future leaders of Kuwait’s bank- ing sector. Moreover, the Bank’s En- telaqah program, which comes under the umbrella of its Retail Acad- emy, enables new joiners moving to the branches to be fully immersed in the retail culture and work dynamics. The Bank also supports its under- graduates and diploma holders to pursue their academic degrees through its Burgan Cares initiative. It serves to note the consolidated fi- nancials for Burgan Bank include the results of the Group’s operations in Kuwait, as well as its share of results from its subsidiaries, namely: Burgan Bank Turkey, Gulf Bank Algeria, Bank of Baghdad and Tunis Interna- tional Bank. Through this regional reach, Burgan Bank has one of the largest regional branch networks across Kuwait, Turkey, Algeria, Iraq, Tunisia, Lebanon and a representa- tive office in the United Arab Emi- rates. ISSUE 170 FEBRUARY 2023 the BANKING EXECUTIVE 27