World's best digital bank 2019: Akbank

There is rarely any difficulty in persuading senior bankers to give details of their investments in digitalization. With most, indeed, the challenge is getting them to stop reciting an endless list of technology buzzwords. 

What is often much harder is pinning these digital evangelists down on the impact all this spending and innovation is having on their bank’s bottom line. 

Akbank chief executive Hakan Binbasgil is a rare and refreshing exception to the rule. While keen to talk about the Turkish lender’s mobile-first strategy, collaboration with fintechs and embrace of ‘phygital’ branches, he is equally happy to discuss the financial impact of digitalization. 

“At the end of the day, that’s what matters,” he says. 

He has some impressive numbers to cite. More than 60% of Akbank’s active customers use its mobile banking platform, accessing it on average 30 times a month. 

“Every visit gives us an opportunity to cross-sell products and talk to our customers,” says Binbasgil.