Capital Bank of Jordan ’ s Zein Malhas discusses going digital while ditching the jargon with Blink to serve the under-served , changing the face of banking
Blink was launched in February 2022 under the umbrella of Capital Bank of Jordan ( CBJ ) - a bank that has undergone a fair amount of transformation in recent years . Established in 1995 as primarily a corporate bank , CBJ focused on trade finance and building key corporate relationships , leading to the creation of a strong corporate portfolio for the bank . As a by-product of its corporate business , CBJ had a retail business that targeted highnet-worth individuals and business owners , cementing its status as a fully-fledged commercial bank .
This experience lent itself well to the bank ’ s more recent transition away from high-networth individuals and corporates into mass retail banking , in addition to its core aim of supporting the growth of SMEs in Jordan .
According to Zein Malhas – who joined in 2018 , utilising her prodigious skill to work up to the role of Chief Digital Officer in January 2021 and CEO of Blink just a year later – the bank has , over the years , expanded its remit geographically and into other areas of banking . “ Capital Bank of Jordan is basically a group that also encompasses a commercial bank in Iraq – the National Bank of Iraq – of which we own 62 % and that has a presence in Iraq and Saudi Arabia , as well as an investment bank , Capital Investments , with presence in Jordan , Iraq , and UAE .”
200 May 2022