Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?

I’ve spent the better part of three decades in banking—across India, Singapore, London, and other financial centres. My longest stint was with Deutsche Bank, where I was Group COO for India and at one point Interim CEO. That meant leading not just a large balance sheet and client franchise, but also a global capability centre that became one of the bank’s largest worldwide. My work spanned corporate and investment banking, operations, technology, and of course risk management—the common thread being how you build resilient, scalable platforms in highly regulated environments. 
Today, I work with boards, founders, and financial institutions to help them balance two seemingly conflicting goals: keeping risk under control while still moving fast enough to capture opportunities.

Q2. What emerging technologies or trends do you foresee disrupting corporate banking risk management over the next 3-5 years?

If I look ahead, three shifts stand out.

First, artificial intelligence—especially explainable AI—will move us from sample-based monitoring to continuous surveillance. Imagine going from checking one container at customs to scanning every single one without slowing down trade. That’s the leap AI can deliver in credit, fraud, and conduct risk.

Second, regulation is catching up with technology. Europe’s AI Act and DORA are not just rulebooks; they’re redefining how banks govern their data, models, and third-party providers. Having run large operations, I know compliance here isn’t a “tick-the-box” exercise—it requires cultural change and investment in model governance that CEOs must personally own.

Third, there is real-time everything—payments, cross-border flows, and client onboarding. When money moves instantly, risk has to be managed instantly. That’s a mindset change for bankers who grew up on end-of-day reconciliations.

Q3. Which geographic regions and client segments offer the highest growth and adoption potential?

I’d say there are three clear hot spots.

Asia, particularly India and Southeast Asia

I’ve seen firsthand how fast adoption can be when technology solves a pain point. India’s UPI is a case in point—it changed the way small and mid-sized corporates transact. As cross-border initiatives like Project Nexus roll out, the demand for smarter risk tools in trade and treasury will explode.

Middle East

The Middle East, where I’ve spent considerable time with clients, is another. Banks there are well-capitalised, regulators are supportive, and governments are pushing digitalisation agendas. That combination creates an openness to new risk and compliance technology that more conservative markets may take longer to embrace.

Europe and the UK

Europe and the UK will continue to lead in regulatory-driven adoption. For mid-market corporates, this often translates into smoother onboarding and more transparent monitoring—because banks are forced to invest in better systems.

Q4. Which unmet customer needs or pain points present the biggest opportunity for innovation and market capture?

The one I keep coming back to is data quality and identity resolution. Every bank CEO knows the frustration—client onboarding that drags on for weeks because systems can’t agree on a single version of the truth. Fix that, and you immediately create value.

Second, trade finance is still too paper-heavy. Even today, letters of credit get stuck on small discrepancies. Clients want transparency and speed—they don’t want to call five people to know where their documents are.

Third, false positives in compliance. I’ve seen teams spend thousands of hours clearing alerts that turn out to be nothing. Clients may not see this directly, but they feel it in delays, extra checks, and higher costs. Reducing false positives with smarter tech is a huge win.

Q5. Who are the leading banks and technology providers dominating this space, and what competitive advantages do they hold?

From a banker’s perspective, DBS in Singapore stands out—they’ve embedded AI into hundreds of processes, not as experiments but as business-as-usual, with clear links to value creation. JPMorgan has also built scale in AI for fraud and compliance. Standard Chartered has been very deliberate in building leadership teams focused on data and AI, particularly in Asia.

On the technology side, the landscape is crowded. Providers like LSEG/Refinitiv and Moody’s have deep data sets regulators trust. Companies like NICE Actimize, Feedzai, and ComplyAdvantage are strong in fraud and AML. What differentiates the winners is not just the technology—it’s credibility. If regulators and bank boards trust your platform, adoption follows.

Q6. Based on your perspective, which banks or vendors are leading innovation in regulatory technology (RegTech) and compliance automation?

I’d point to firms like NICE Actimize and SAS for their end-to-end compliance platforms, and newer players like ComplyAdvantage and Silent Eight for using machine learning to cut through the noise in sanctions and screening. Exiger has carved a niche in third-party and supply-chain risk. What makes them effective is their ability to translate complex regulation into tools that bankers and regulators both feel comfortable with.

Q7. If you were an investor looking at companies within the space, what critical question would you pose to their senior management?

I’d keep it simple: “Can you prove compliance-grade ROI?” In other words, show me how your solution not only reduces cost or speeds up onboarding, but also stands up to a regulator’s audit. In my experience, bankers won’t scale a solution unless it ticks both boxes—business value and regulatory resilience. As an investor, that’s the acid test: are you a nice-to-have, or will banks bet their license on you?