OTP BANK

CONSTANTIN MAREȘ CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER , OTP BANK

• Lack of digital infrastructure for easy , tech-enabled banking solutions to meet customer demand .

“ As a person , I ' m a very positive and optimistic one . I see that each challenge also brings an opportunity ,” smiles Mareș .

He adds : “ We looked at how to combine technology and humanity in this part of the financial industry ; to merge these two components into a superior understanding of customer needs and then transform this into a customer experience that is seamless and actually helps them .

“ We also looked more at what it means to truly understand our employees , our customers – what do they actually need ? Not only in terms of salaries , I ' m talking about a type of leadership style , servant leadership vs smart leadership . We don ' t hire the best people to tell them what to do ; we hire the best people that could tell us what to do .”

By the time the pandemic hit , the company was already wading through the depths of transformation , looking at ways to attract and retain talented employees , extend digital capabilities , and set itself apart from competitors in an overcrowded market .

“ We ' re very creative here . It puts us in the position of looking more closely at product personalisation and how to improve customer experience .”

The bank had already increased flexible and remote working options for employees by March 2020 , but found employee uptake was low ; the pandemic gave leadership time to recognise , understand and alleviate the various problems inhibiting uptake .

“ There were big problems from anxiety issues to logistical issues . We offered psychological support when employees needed it . We offered them the possibility to take home their chairs , because , usually , you don ' t have a chair that is ergonomically beneficial at home ,” explains Mareș . “ So we were really close to people , understanding their needs , supporting them and giving them the tools to work from home seamlessly .” A central aspect of enacting these changes company-wide , according to Mareș , was shifting the culture and mindset of each and every team member : “ We adapted the new way of working that puts the employee in the centre , that puts communication and collaboration in the centre of everything . I would say the biggest cultural change was the culture of fear , because you can ’ t have innovation if people fear making mistakes and they ' re afraid of the reaction of their managers .”

“ Changing this culture of fear is not easy because it starts with me as a manager and how I react when I see a major mistake from my team . Do I shout , do I ask tough questions or invite people for a dialogue