All articles by Douglas Blakey

RBC posts record annual earnings; Scotiabank beats Q4 forecasts

Canada’s largest bank by assets, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has reported record earnings of C$10.46bn ($7.82bn) for the 12 months to end October 2016, up by 4.3% year-on-year driven by the strength of its diversified business model.

Bots as bankers?

Increased customer satisfaction, improved quality in bank processes, cost reductions and promotion of banks’ perception as innovation leaders: that sounds like a winner – and all goals that can be achieved via advanced ‘human’ artificial intelligence.

Or bots for short.

Are millennials worth the attention?

Pick a bank – just about any bank at random – and it will tell you how it is really committed to targeting the millennial segment.

Yoma transformation accelerates

Myanmar’s Yoma Bank has long enjoyed a local reputation for its investment in technology, resulting in an efficient branch network, remittances services and specialist SME services. As CEO Hal Bosher tells Douglas Blakey, its collaboration with Misys will expand its offerings and help the bank target new segments

Financial companies delivering better value for customers in loyalty programmes

There is however a but and a big one: cuts to loyalty programmes resulting from caps on interchange fees risk customer relationships. Douglas Blakey writes

Remote cheque deposits delay: a UK banking embarrassment

The next time a UK retail banker – especially if on the digital side – tells you just how innovative they are: three words come to mind as a response. Douglas Blakey writes

Monitise signs up multiple partners to form new FINKit Partner Programme

It has been some time coming but worth the wait: Monitise’s FINKit has hit the ground running by forming a Partner Programme with founding partners MasterCard, BehavioSec, Currencycloud, Envestnet, Yodlee, Experian, fastacash, FICO, HID, iGeolise, LivePerson, MYPINPAD, Syniverse, and WorldFirst.

RBC’s light-touch approach to City National a winning strategy

It was RBC’s biggest ever takeover. In 2015, RBC paid $5.4bn to snap up the iconic City National Bank, the so-called “bank for the Hollywood stars”. Already, the deal is proving to be a winner for both banks. Douglas Blakey writes

An ambitious redefining of the customer experience

With an award-winning multi-channel distribution platform and the country’s highest net promoter scores for its customer experience, Georgia’s TBC Bank invited allen international to take the branch concept to the next level in terms of customer service delivery. Douglas Blakey reports on the resulting locations

W&G soap opera continues to run; surely CYBG will not come to the rescue?

Clydesdale & Yorkshire has been on an aggressive branch right-sizing drive for the past four years.