October 13, 2026

Shaping the Future of Financial Services: Reflections on our APAC Executive Forums

By Alison Albeck Lindland, CMO, Personetics 

It was an incredible week connecting with industry peers as we recently wrapped up the Personetics Executive Forums in Sydney on September 23 and Auckland on September 24. These exclusive, invite-only events were designed for senior leaders across the banking sector who are shaping the future of financial services. They consisted of a half-day of strategic insights, peer-to-peer learning, and high-value professional networking. 

As Chief Marketing Officer at Personetics, I spend a lot of time thinking about how we can best collaborate with the senior leaders shaping the financial services industry. While digital communication is essential, there is no substitute for being in the same room, sharing ideas, and learning directly from one another. That is exactly what we set out to achieve during our recent Personetics Executive Forums in the APAC region. 

At both events, our goal was to help banking leaders explore the future of financial services and discover what works well in today’s market. Our executive leadership team, including our CEO Udi Ziv, our VP of Corporate Strategy, our APAC Head of Sales, and I, took the stage to share Personetics’ global vision and strategic roadmap. We discussed how the industry’s leading financial institutions are moving beyond basic digital transformation to deliver proactive, hyper-personalised customer advocacy at scale. 

Turning Data into Action: The Bankwest Success Story  

A highlight across both the Sydney and Auckland forums was the valuable perspective brought by our client and partner, Bankwest. Charles Street, the Crew Lead for Everyday Digital Experiences at Bankwest, sat down with us for a deep dive into the company’s digital journey. 

At Bankwest, the team is passionately dedicated to creating everyday banking experiences that are simple and useful for their customers. Getting to that level of intuitive simplicity requires taking raw transaction data and turning it into personalised insights that customers actually want to act on. 

Charles unpacked the journey of Bankwest’s Subscriptions Manager, taking us step-by-step through what it takes to bring a new banking feature from a whiteboard concept to a fully launched, live product. It was refreshing to hear him speak candidly about the whole process, including the roadblocks they faced, the wins they celebrated, and the lessons they learned along the way. He highlighted how their partnership with Personetics has successfully enabled them to transform everyday data into actionable insights that drive real customer value and simplify banking. Hearing these proven, real-world success stories from a peer bank resonated with everyone in the room. 

Strategic Perspectives from Microsoft and Industry Leaders  

During the forum, we also featured fresh viewpoints from the broader technology ecosystem. In Sydney, we were joined by Stuart Ward from Microsoft, who lays out the recommended strategy for starting and scaling AI in banks. Additionally, our own regional industry experts, Ido Bornstein-HaCohen and Simon Melton, offered their specialised knowledge on the APAC market. By combining our global strategy with these localised expert viewpoints, we provided attendees with a comprehensive look at the partnerships necessary to win in today’s digital economy. 

Fostering High-Value Relationships  

When designing these forums, we intentionally kept them small to foster an intimate, highly collaborative environment. We wanted to ensure that this wasn’t just a day of listening to presentations, but rather an opportunity to exchange ideas and participate in interactive, open discussions. Attendees were able to share their own perspectives and foster high-value professional relationships with both new and familiar industry peers.  

As I reflect on our time in Sydney and Auckland, I am energised by the commitment these banking leaders have to their customers and the drive to innovate and add value to everyday banking experiences. Thank you to all the executives who carved out time to join us, and we look forward to continuing to empower the region’s top banks with the data-driven insights they need to succeed.