Techcombank sponsorship of Singapore business forum underlines regional, national prominence: CEO

Techcombank’s support for the upcoming Singapore Regional Business Forum (SRBF), which marks milestones in Vietnam-Singapore ties, highlights the lender’s rising status in the country and region, says CEO Jens Lottner.

The forum, set to take place in Hanoi this Saturday July 7, commemorates the 50th anniversary of bilateral relationship and 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between Singapore and Vietnam.

The forum, which will be graced by the presence of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, will gather over 500 business and political leaders for a range of plenary sessions, panel discussions, and networking sessions.

Lottner said that as a platinum sponsor, Techcombank aims to elevate its status as a leading, pioneering, private bank in Vietnam as well as a rising star in Asia, with its “Change Banking, Change Lives” vision leading transformation of Vietnam’s financial industry.

Addressing a virtual press conference last week, Lottner said: “I am deeply proud that Techcombank is supporting this forum and to mark the 50th anniversary of bilateral relationship and 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between Singapore and Vietnam.

“As we approach our own 30th anniversary since founding, we are reflecting on the greatness we’ve achieved together while focusing on our mission to lead the transformation of Vietnam’s banking industry, as well as being a pioneer for the wider region. Working with our partners we can encourage innovation, share knowledge and constantly push new boundaries to achieve our goals. We look forward to all we can achieve together,” he said.

Lottner noted that the forum was being held amidst the challenging context of economies facing market fluctuations while recovering from the pandemic, as well as the risk posed by supply chain disruptions.

“Techcombank understands that ensuring the smooth and uninterrupted flow of transactions, as well as optimizing operating costs, is the key to business survival and for which digitalisation and digital transformation is critical. As part of its ‘Digital’ and ‘Data’ pillars, the bank continues to invest into even more cutting-edge digital platforms and cloud transformation initiatives, enabling the bank to deliver a bespoke banking experience and cultivate partnership-led growth.

“The whole customer journey with Techcombank will be digitalized and the customer interactive experience will be personalized in real-time across digital and offline touchpoints.”

He stressed that Techcombank’s growth has been underpinned by numerous collaborations and partnerships across the region, allowing the bank to achieve its goals. These remained fundamental as the bank worked to realize its “Change Banking, Change Lives” vision.

Enhancing the experience of employees with constant training and upskilling are hugely important parts of the bank’s ‘Talent’ pillar, as part of its three-pillared “Digital, Data and Talent” transformation strategy.

In 2022, Techcombank employees received nearly 900,000 hours of training – equivalent to 70 hours per employee – through virtual classroom, e-learning and in-class sessions. The bank has also made additional investments in boosting the data and digital capabilities of its people via partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Under this, 2,800 employees have received advanced training in Cloud technology, validating approximately 250 different certifications from AWS.

Techcombank was also the first Vietnamese bank to organize overseas talent roadshows in Singapore, London, San Francisco and Sydney, imparting valuable international experience and exposure to its staff.

Several landmark transactions have supported the bank’s strategic progress, enabling it to set new records in Vietnam, Lottner said.

In November 2022, Techcombank completed a loan guarantee transaction for VinFast Singapore, enabling the company to access $300 million from a major international lender. It was the first time that Techcombank had guaranteed a transaction for an overseas company, and it was also the largest guarantee transaction in the market in 2022.

Earlier, in June 2022, Techcombank successfully concluded a landmark $1 billion syndicated loan facility, setting another landmark in its offshore fundraising activity. This facility also marked the bank’s third approach to the offshore loan syndication market, following an inaugural $500 million transaction in 2020 and a $800 million financing in 2021.

Techcombank was established in 1993 a few years after Vietnam transitioned towards a more market-oriented economy. Three decades thence, it has become one of the largest banks in Vietnam.

The bank has garnered several international accolades as it celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, Lottner noted.

Techcombank became the only financial institution Vietnam honored by the Financial Asia as "Best Bank in Vietnam 2023". Prestigious magazine The Asian Banker (TAB) has advised businesses to choose Techcombank because it has "the Best Collection Management solution via Virtual Account” in the Asia-Pacific region. It was chosen “Best Supply Chain Financing Bank in Vietnam 2022” and been recognized as the “Best Payment Bank in Vietnam” for three consecutive years.