2 minute read
An Innovative Mind-set
Hilary Gormley, Head of Business Banking (Corporate, Institutional and Business Banking) at AIB, tells InBUSINESS how innovation is at the core of everything they do.
“Being recognised by the In Business Awards as ‘Best Business Bank’ speaks to our purpose which is to back our customers to achieve their dreams and ambitions,” says Hilary Gormley, Head of Business Banking (Corporate, Institutional and Business Banking) at AIB. “No matter the scale, sector or geographic location our team are committed to delivering an outstanding experience to all business customers.”
Innovation and continuous improvement are among the standout qualities which AIB displayed. Ms Gormley notes that, working with a wide range of different businesses, from entrepreneurs and start-ups to established SMEs and corporate businesses across the country, it is important to invest time in understanding each business from a sector perspective in order to respond with the appropriate support.
“Needs can vary greatly depending on the scale, sector, growth stage and strategy of the business and we’ve tailored our approach accordingly,” she states. “This involves putting skilled business teams in place and ensuring customers get the right type of support based on their relevant needs at the time.”
INNOVATION AGENDA
“Innovation is at the core of everything we do,” Ms Gormley says. “We are continually refi ning and investing in our products and services to ensure they are of the highest standards. We are currently investing heavily in delivering ‘best in class’ experience for our business customers with a substantial new and exciting upgrade to our Internet Business Banking (IBB) services currently underway.”
Innovation takes many forms, from use of technology to ways of working with customers. “We think about innovation in its widest sense – technology and digital capability, but also around having an innovative mind-set and helping customers to solve problems. We think about how best we can leverage our capabilities to support our customers, for example providing sector analysis and insight that are a huge value add for our customers,” she notes.
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
The bank was also the fi rst sponsor of a co-working space in Ireland, with Portershed in Galway, the project in question, having led to the creation of over 660 jobs and delivered €7.2m of economic value to the community since its foundation.
“We understand the importance and benefi ts of diversity in underpinning the success of entrepreneurs,” says Ms Gormley. “In 2018, over 250 business owners completed the fi rst AIB Women in Enterprise programme, assisting them in scaling and growing their businesses. We provided a fund of €100m to Women in Enterprise which was fully utilised within the year by female entrepreneurs.”
Looking to the year ahead, she affirms, “Brexit will remain a key area of focus for us all as we move into 2020 and as businesses adapt to the changing economic landscape.” Along with this, Ms Gormley sees sustainability as being top of the agenda for both the bank itself internally, as well as for its customers: “Sustainability will dominate the political and consumer agenda over the next year too which will no doubt impact many of our SME customers. How they adapt to and respond to this area will be key to their ongoing success.”
