Whether it be in the packaging or service, the importance in creating a meaningful customer experience will be crucial for any business looking to standout in a competitive landscape. For Felimy Greene, managing director, and regional head of customer franchise at Citi, the customer experience is the core philosophy when he is developing any new digital solution for the bank. Having worked on several projects with Eight Inc, an experienced design firm, Greene was able to learn from the firm’s founder Tim Kobe the creator of the Apple Store concept about the importance of customer empathy and attention to detail when crafting a new project.

“The Smart banking concept that is instantly recognizable in many Citi branches worldwide today was developed with the help of the design firm Eight Inc., the same company that worked closely with Steve Jobs to create the Apple Store. I have been fortunate to work with Eight's founder Tim Kobe on a number of projects and I learned a lot from seeing how he and his team approach the creation of simple, delightful customer experiences in both a physical and digital context,” explains Greene. “It’s probably no surprise that I’m also a big fan of Apple and how they consistently create products that are so intuitive to use and desirable to own.”

Looking to enhance Citi’s digital banking customer experience in Asia-Pacific, Greene set out at the start of the 2016 to radically overhaul parts of the bank’s digital infrastructure such as its mobile banking experience. “We went into 2016 with a very bold agenda which saw us shifting from a quarterly to a monthly release cycle and really starting to embrace ‘agile’ methods in how we develop new products and capabilities,” says Greene. “We also recognized that it will not just be Citi's proprietary platform alone that will drive our success, but that through partnering and co-development we will spread Citi's footprint and capabilities across a wider set of digital eco-systems, places where our customers spend significant amounts of time and where we need to be present to support them - it's about being contextually relevant and convenient in their digital lives. We have made significant progress in this respect through the launch of interactive banking services to our Chinese customers on WeChat, and we are making excellent progress on delivering similar services to customers who use popular messaging apps such as LINE and of course Facebook Messenger".

A big fan of mobile, one of Greene’s main priorities was to update Citi’s out-of-date mobile app which hadn’t been changed dramatically since its initial launch in 2010. The end result in 2016 was an app based on hybrid HTML 5 architecture which made the app interface more intuitive allowing for easier navigation. In addition, the new the app also featured a fingerprint log-in feature and a snapshot function which enabled customers to view their account balances without having to formally login.  

In 2016 Greene also worked closely with his wealth management colleagues to develop an insightful digital wealth management solution for the customers. “We have invested significantly in digitally enabling our wealth business with Citi's Total Wealth Advisor. This is a sophisticated experience in which a client can work with their Citi wealth advisor to develop a holistic view of their financial health and to track and monitor the progress of investments framed against life goals,” says Greene.  

However, improving the customer experience isn’t only reserved for new services. “We stepped up our engagement with all of the key social media players, more than tripling our social media following in the region from 3 million to over 10 million last year,” highlights Greene. Indeed social media has played a pivotal role for the bank. Under Greene’s leadership Citi has used its social media capabilities as a high-level marketing tool and a place where they can service customers digitally.

Pushing for increased digital eco-system partnerships has also been a key achievement for Greene. In 2016, he oversaw Citi’s partnerships with social media platforms such as likes of Line in Thailand and Wechat in China. In the case of Wechat, Citi’s customers in China can receive alerts and personalized offers within the app. According to Greene the increase in partnerships is all thanks to Citi’s API capabilities. “We launched what I believe is the most comprehensive set of APIs of any bank in Asia today,” notes Greene. “Through these APIs our partners can effectively do about 80% of what Citi offers from a transactional and functional standpoint.” Aside from social media platforms Citi in Asia last year integrated its banking system with new platforms such as Airbnb, Grab and Lazada.

While Citi has a mindset on innovating its digital processes across the Asia-Pacific region, Greene has also stressed that “it's always challenging when working across multiple jurisdictions and regulatory regimes. Regulation is extremely important and while it has been seen by some, (particularly startups) as an obstacle to innovation and progress, we are now seeing Regulators recognizing the economic importance of financial services innovation. Several key regulators are now inviting closer collaboration within the industry to enable innovation to happen more rapidly - and in a safe and sound way using sandbox environments as well as clearer ground rules and guidance on the use of new technologies and methods." He adds that “we have really worked hard with our teams across the region and in every part of our business. Our success in 2016 is the result of an amazing Citi team effort.”

Looking to the future Greene and his team aims to uphold its’ high-level of customer experience via the development of more impactful digital services. “We will continue to build out our partnerships leveraging our APIs. There are a number of exciting companies that we want to partner with. In addition, Citi Mobile will continue to be a centerpiece in our customer relationship. Digital is a central pillar in Citi's growth strategy for Asia and we are excited by the results we are starting to see,” states Greene.