Besides expanding further into the syndication credit market, RHB Bank Singapore is also looking to expand its wealth management and small and medium enterprise business from about 10 per cent to over 20 per cent of its revenue base in the next two years.

Aside from beefing up its Singapore business, RHB is pursuing a proposed acquisition of Medan-based Bank Mestika in Indonesia. The proposed acquisition is pending the Indonesian regulators' approval.

RHB will open a subsidiary in Laos this year and is studying its prospects in the Philippines for banking opportunities. "With a large English-speaking and highly-educated population, and with remittance coming in from their overseas workers, the Philippines has all the right fundamentals. Hopefully, we can enter the Philippine market by this year," Kam says. In addition, the group is looking into other Asean markets with immense growth potential to augment its revenue pool beyond the domestic banking market.

Applying a different strategy in Thailand, RHB views Thailand as part of its regional network, helping its Malaysian clients who intend to expand into Thailand and vice versa rather than building a full-sized Thai bank through the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) route.

The group's regional business is further strengthened through DMG & Partners Securities in Singapore, under RHB Investment Bank (RHBIB), and the RHB-OSK Investment Bank offices in Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong and a representative office in Shanghai. Besides constantly seeking opportunities in China, RHBIB's Hong Kong office is also acting as a gateway to serve more markets on the mainland and in Taiwan and South Korea.

Going global

The group regionalisation programme is a springboard to tap into global markets as economic growth prospects improve. Following its merger with OSK Investment Bank, RHBIB is spreading its wings into the European market via a partnership with Espirito Santo Investment Bank (ESIB), one of Europe's leading asset houses. The agreement allows ESIB to distribute RHBIB's Asean equity research and investment banking products in Europe including distribution of RHBIB's Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Hong Kong research in North America. In return, RHBIB will distribute ESIB's European and Indian equity research to Southeast Asian investors.

Similar to ESIB, RHBIB has also signed a partnership agreement with Taiwan-based brokerage firm SinoPac Securities (SinoPac) to formalise its access into the Taiwanese and greater China markets. Through this partnership, RHBIB's customers around Asean will have access to Taiwanese stocks and in turn, SinoPac will be able to promote Asean equities to their clients. This collaboration will also include cross-border merger and investment banking co-operation in the areas of corporate finance, debt capital markets and M&A.

IGNITE 2017

In support of the banking group's aspirations, RHB recently launched the third phase of its transformation programme dubbed "IGNITE 2017: Turning aspirations into outcomes". Anchored on building a regional powerhouse, the programme is targeted to lodge the group into a top-three spot in Malaysia and top-eight position in Asean by 2020.

"One of our priorities over the next three years is to build a next-generation digital bank, leveraging online and mobile channels, social media and paperless banking to engage our customers and enable borderless banking with RHB across Asean," Kam says. Driving innovation and digital offerings across the banking group, RHB is setting up a research and development division that will oversee the end-to-end idea generation, development and rollout of cutting-edge offerings to customers.

Easy by RHB is an excellent example of innovation and customer centricity. Starting with two outlets in 2009, it has expanded to 268 outlets nationwide, offering fast, simple and paperless community banking services to its customers. RHB Easy has also won numerous awards across the region for its innovation and brand excellence. Last year, RHB Easy contributed 6 per cent of the group's pre-tax profit and 5.4 per cent of its loan base.

Complementing the group's advanced digital offerings is its shift to a customer-centric focus. Part of the change is the group's restructuring from entity-based organisation to a single-group functional structure, with all strategic business and functional sectors reporting to the larger RHB. Adapting a regional operating model, RHB will roll out initiatives that will integrate systems, products and capabilities across the regions.

Besides growing its regional business, the group has put in place initiatives to increase the cross selling ratio of its banking products to the group's over 3 million customer base.

Global Islamic leadership

Accounting for 15 per cent of the group's overall loans, RHB Islamic Bank, the shariah-compliant banking arm of RHB, is undergoing a major business transformation with the aim of achieving 30 per cent of the group's asset base by 2017. Under this transformation programme, RHB Islamic Bank is able to expand its customer touch points from the existing 14 Islamic branches through the 194 conventional branches nationwide.

RHB intends to drive its Islamic banking business growth domestically and regionally and to build a world-class Islamic banking institution, with innovative product offerings and an enhanced distribution model. "This is not just for Muslims but non-Muslims too, looking to diversify their investor base to include those who prefer Islamic-based assets," Kam says.

Prominent employer of choice

"We're enhancing our human resources and personnel management proficiencies to attract and retain talent from across the region," Kam says. "We're building a high-performing regional workforce that will position RHB as a preferred employer."

To support the group's aspiration to become a prominent employer of choice in the region, the group is looking to transform its human resources operating model, enhance talent management and put in place an enterprise-wide human resource and client management system. The group's implementation of a cultural transformation initiative called PRIDE, which stands for "Professional, Respect, Integrity, Dynamic, Excellence", has also helped in establishing a consistent set of values across the organisation.

Experience at the helm

To complement Kam and to usher the group to its next level of growth, RHB appointed Khairussaleh Ramli as deputy group managing director, who also acts as managing director of RHB Bank, RHB's main banking subsidiary in Malaysia. Awarded "Best Chief Financial Officer in Malaysia" by Finance Asia for 2010 and 2011, Khairussaleh led the business transformation of Malayan Banking's (Maybank) Indonesian subsidiary, Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII). Under Khairussaleh's watch, BII's net profit jumped 81 per cent in 2012.

Known for his exceptional track record in Indonesia, Khairussaleh brings with him more than 20 years of experience in the financial services and capital markets industry. Prior to his stint with Maybank, he worked at the Public Bank Group from 1990 to 1997 and was a seasoned strategy officer at Telekom Malaysia for two years. He went on to serve Bursa Malaysia for eight years, holding various positions before rising to the post of chief financial officer in 2004.

"The group will continue to strengthen its position, focus on building the necessary enablers to support the business growth domestically and internationally. This will place RHB on an accelerated track to achieve our 2020 goals," Kam says.