Asian Financial Services Congress 2013: Best Practices in Implementing Big Ideas

Singapore and Hong Kong – January 31, 2013 – IDC Financial Insights’ 9^th Annual Asian Financial Services (AFS) Congress will be held in Singapore from 28 February to 1 March 2013.

Delegates attending this year’s AFS Congress, themed “Building on Big Ideas”, will discover how leaders are developing their uniquely-Asian idea list to cater to the world's most bankable region. They will learn about real-life best practices in tapping into new markets, reaching the under-banked and underserviced, as well as in creating a credible pan-Asian franchise. In addition, they will uncover how technology can improve their core competencies for that elusive market "breakthrough".

The 2013 landscape presents a mixed bag for the Asia/Pacific financial institution: unresolved economic issues in western economies, the slow return of business and consumer confidence in the Asia/Pacific region, and accelerating growth of Asia’s self-generated business opportunities.

IDC Financial Insights believes most institutions will respond to this year’s uneven, disparate, and occasionally conflicting factors of growth by making a few strategic tweaks, and perhaps some changes to their operations and technology plans.

“The success formula in 2013 is for the organization to undertake a comprehensive reassessment of the business, and make sure that, just like the new environment that lies before it, the game plan is different,” says Cyrus Daruwala, Managing Director for IDC Financial Insights Asia/Pacific.

He explains that the stage is set for big ideas; and financial institutions must decode the large forces of change that surround them, decide which are worth taking advantage of, and which can take the backseat — for now.

The search for new markets and business models will need to be accelerated while protecting the basic propositions of financial intermediation. New offerings and capabilities have to be brought to market while considering the emergence of new technologies, shifts in demographics, new political-economic dynamics, and changes to consumer behavior.

At the event, IDC Financial Insights will answer the call for big ideas, and point delegates to the right actions to get real results.

Speakers and panelists lined up for this year's Congress include:

• Tony Chew, Director, Monetary Authority of Singapore
• Teeranun Srihong, Senior Executive Vice President, Kasikornbank
• Sanjoy Sen, Managing Director, Retail Banking Asia Pacific, ANZ
• Aurelio R. Montinola, III, CEO, Bank of Philippine Islands
• Steve Monaghan, MD & Chief Innovation Officer, DBS
• Elizabeth Bell, Head of Global Client Service Centre, Barclays Asia
• Pushpinder Singh, GM, Head of IT, Bank of India
• Dr Liu Xuanqing, Head of Risk Management & Control, Bank of Communication Pacific Credit Card Center
• John Lee, Group CRO, Maybank
• Donald MacDonald, Head, Group Customer Analytics & Decisioning, OCBC
• Asif Saleem, Global Head, Channel Management & Business Performance, Standard Chartered Bank
• Dennis Bancod, SEVP & Head of the Information Technology Shared Services and Operations Groups, RCBC
• Dirk Sibiet, Executive Director & Country Technology Officer Singapore – UAE, Abn Amro
• Cynthia Liaw, Head of E-Banking, Maybank (Singapore)
• Bob Caisley, EVP & CIO, Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)
• Ronald Waas, Deputy Governor, Bank Indonesia
• Tongurai Limpiti, Deputy Governor, Bank of Thailand

The full agenda is available at www.afscongress.com.

The Asian Financial Services (AFS) Congress will be held at Marina Bay Sands Convention Level 3, Singapore, from 28 February to 1 March 2013. For media enquiries, please contact Emily Chia at echia@idc.com or +65 6829 7731.

About the Asian Financial Services (AFS) Congress 2013



Organized by IDC Financial Insights, the AFS Congress 2013 is Asia/Pacific's foremost gathering of financial services practitioners. Themed “Building on Big Ideas", the Congress aims to decode for financial institutes the large forces of change that surround them, and decide which are worth taking advantage of, and which can take the backseat — for now. At this Congress, IDC Financial Insights will share crucial findings from its international team of analysts, highlighting the business and technology trends that will impact and change banking.

About IDC Financial Insights



IDC Financial Insights assists financial service businesses and IT leaders, as well as the suppliers who serve them, in making more effective technology decisions by providing accurate, timely, and insightful fact-based research and consulting services. Staffed by senior analysts with decades of industry experience, our global research analyzes and advises on business and technology issues facing the banking, insurance, and securities and investments industries. International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology market. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology, media, research, and events company. For more information, please visit www.idc-fi.com, email info@idc-fi.com, or call 508-620-5533. Visit the IDC Financial Insights Community at http://idc-insights-community.com/financial.

About IDC



International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries worldwide. For more than 49 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com.

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