MTI Forum on ‘Re-strategising: Financial Services’

MTI Consulting announced its banking and financial services forum, themed ‘Re-strategising: Financial Services in Sri Lanka.

The forum focuses on identifying key challenges faced by banks and finance companies in Sri Lanka and the avenues to be addressed in overcoming these challenges from a strategic business perspective.

The event is to be held on Monday, 3 January 2011, at the Taj Samudra Hotel.

The forum will feature a core presentation by MTI CEO Hilmy Cader, followed by a panel discussion. The discussion will be driven by eminent corporate personalities in the Sri Lankan business field; namely, Dharma Dheerasinghe – Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka; Kapila Jayawardena, Group CEO of LOLC; Ajita Pasqual – CEO/GM of Seylan Bank; and Hans Wijayasuriya – Group CEO of Dialog Axiata. The session will be moderated by Mano Tittawella, Associate of MTI Corporate Finance.

Following the end of a 30-year war, Sri Lanka is high on optimism and intent as it gears itself to meet the economic development initiatives taken by the Government. In order to facilitate these growth plans, the role of the financial services industry needs to change – acting as a catalyst in converting the optimism and intent within the current economy into ‘reality’.

However, the sector needs to stay focused on the bottom line, developing strategy to compete on cost effective methods of generating sustainable demand for their services, as opposed to the pent-up demand that has developed post the end of the war.

The MTI Banking & Financial Services Forum will take an outside-in look at the entire industry, drawing from the cross border/cross industry learnings gathered from MTI’s global consulting experience.

The aim of the forum is to challenge the conventional methods of banking which are prevalent in the industry, highlighting the changes required in areas such as service quality, work ethics and brand architecture of the products and services offered by the financial institutions.

The presentation and discussion will also touch on the opportunities available in areas of mobile banking, focused R&D and CRM practices within the financial services sector.

Commenting on the objectives of the forum, MTI’s CEO Hilmy Cader said: “Corporates in the financial services industry must gear themselves with innovative strategies, in order to meet the demands of the growing economy.

With the upturn that is expected in the next few years, this will be crucial to their survival.”

MTI Consulting is an international strategic management consultancy with operations in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Dubai, Pakistan, India, Malaysia and UK. Having provided solutions for over 400 projects in 40 countries across four continents, MTI’s solutions include brand management, strategic planning, re-structuring, marketing, sales and channel management and service quality.

MTI Consulting recently launched four subsidiaries in the areas of corporate finance, technology solutions, market research and HRM solutions.

MTI has a growing financial services practice in Sri Lanka and internationally, including experience with the likes of LOLC, NSB, BOC, HNB, HNBA, Union Bank, Sanasa (in Sri Lanka) and internationally with the likes of  American Express, Ahli United, Arab Financial Services, ARIG, Bahrain Saudi Bank, Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, Bahrain Islamic Bank, Bahrain Kuwait Insurance, Bahrain National Insurance, BMI, Citibank, Credimax, Daman, Grameen-Ceylinco, HSBC Amanah, Isthithmar, National Bank of Bahrain, National Finance House, Middle Sea, Orix Leasing, SG, Standard Chartered, Solidarity Takaful.