Head, Branch Network Innovation and Transformation

Hong Leong Bank; Malaysia; On-site; MYR 300,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

Hong Leong Bank is seeking a senior leader to architect and drive a multi-format physical network strategy across Malaysia, shifting the portfolio toward next-generation formats. The role focuses on maximizing community engagement, optimizing unit economics, and improving network agility through phygital transformations.

You will own the P&L for the transformed ecosystem and define ROI-driven investment cases.

Qualifications

• 10–12 years of progressive experience in network strategy, retail banking innovation, distribution ecosystem design, or business transformation.
• Strong commercial & financial acumen: experience managing or influencing P&L, financial modeling, CAPEX/OPEX optimization, ROI tracking in retail banking.
• Proven track record leading digital-to-physical (phygital) transformations, retail process re-engineering, or innovative customer journeys.

Responsibilities

• Architect and drive a multi-format physical network strategy.
• Shift portfolio toward next-gen formats to maximize community engagement and improve unit economics.
• Own transformed ecosystem P&L and track ROI against targets.

Skills

Network Strategy

Retail Banking Innovation

Distribution Ecosystem Design

Business Transformation

Education

Business Administration/Finance/Economics/Innovation Management/Digital Transformation

Job description

Functional (Job Responsibilities)

• Architect and drive a multi-format physical network strategy that modernizes traditional footprints.
• Focus on shifting the portfolio toward next-generation, flexible formats (e.g., Meet@HLB, Non-Cash Service Hubs/SAH) to maximize community engagement, optimize unit economics, and improve overall network agility.
• Take direct financial ownership of the transformed ecosystem's business outcomes.
• Define, track, and optimize the Profit & Loss (P&L) metrics for next-gen formats, ensuring that footprint transformations directly translate into lower Cost-to-Income Ratios (CIR), increased customer acquisition, and maximized cross-sell revenue.
• Define the blueprint, conceptual framework, and micro-market viability strategies for innovative concepts like Meet@HLB.
• Partner with cross-functional deployment teams to guide the scaling of these formats within community and lifestyle hubs (e.g., lifestyle malls, grocers, residential corridors) to maximize digital-first customer acquisition.
• Identify underperforming or traditional branch profiles and lead their strategic transformation.
• Re-engineer traditional operating structures by removing manual, high-cost teller/vault processes and re-profiling legacy spaces into lean, automated, service-driven digital hubs.
• (Note: This excludes the execution of physical branch closures).
• Collaborate heavily with digital banking and technology teams to bridge the gap between physical spaces and digital solutions.
• Ensure automated 24/7 Self-Service Kiosks, paperless in-branch tablet architectures, and assisted-digital features migrate up to 88% of traditional counter capabilities flawlessly.
• Oversee the operational transformation project pipeline.
• Drive cross-functional agility to achieve highly accelerated transformation timelines (e.g., a 4-month remodeling/conversion cycle compared to traditional 9-month delivery cycles).
• Establish strict financial modeling guardrails and investment business cases.
• Track CAPEX utilization against rigorous Return on Investment (ROI) targets, ensuring every transformation initiative achieves its projected payback period and commercial efficiency goals.

Managerial (Team/Group Responsibilities)

• Cross-Functional Stakeholder Management: Fulfill the role of primary strategic liaison, bridging the gaps between Business Channel Management, Corporate Real Estate (CRE), Group Procurement, Risk, Compliance, and Frontline Sales Heads to ensure transformation alignment without absorbing direct physical facility management.

Organizational (Organizational Responsibilities)

• Responsibility to our franchise – put HLB's long-term interests ahead of each unit's short-term gains.
• Respect the HLB culture & take an active role in the communities.
• Provide superior results for our shareholders.

Education / Qualification

• Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Innovation Management, Spatial Analytics, Digital Transformation, or a heavily quantitative discipline.

Experience / Requirements

• Minimum of 10–12 years of progressive experience in Network Strategy, Retail Banking Innovation, Distribution Ecosystem Design, or Business Transformation.
• Strong Commercial & Financial Acumen: Proven experience managing or significantly influencing P&L metrics, financial modeling, CAPEX/OPEX optimization, and commercial ROI tracking within a retail or retail banking distribution context.
• Proven track record of leading digital-to-physical (phygital) transformation projects, retail process re-engineering, or innovative customer journey designs.
• Industry Cross-Over Background: Highly preferred to have senior-level network strategy or retail transformation exposure within the Telecommunications sector (e.g., retail store footprint optimization/network localization), Tier-1 FMCG, or Progressive Property Retail Groups known for disruptive customer experiences.

About Hong Leong Bank We are a leading financial institution in Malaysia backed by a century of entrepreneurial heritage. Providing comprehensive financial services guided by a Digital-at-the-Core ethos has earned us industry recognition and accolades for our innovative approach in making banking simpler and more effortless for our customers. Our digital and physical offerings span across a vast nationwide network in Malaysia, strengthened with an expanding regional presence in Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, and China. We seek to strike a balance between diversity, inclusion and merit to achieve our mission of infusing diversity in thinking and skillsets into our organisation. Candidates are assessed based on merit and potential, in line with our mission to attract and recruit the best talent available. Expanding on our “Digital at the Core” ethos, we are progressively digitising the employee journey and experience to provide a strong foundation for our people to drive life-long learning, achieve their career aspirations and grow talent from within our organisation. Hong Leong Bank ("HLB") stands proudly as a leading financial services institution based in Malaysia, providing a wide range of comprehensive and innovative financial solutions across the region. These services are delivered through both digital and traditional means, via online and mobile banking, as well as our digital branch concept to provide customers with an efficient and seamless experience aided by technology.

As the service and financial landscape changes rapidly with the ever-increasing use of technology, staying attuned to customers needs and desires becomes even more critical to HLB's operations. To stay ahead of these dynamic changes, the Bank has adopted the approach of reimagining banking by embedding digital considerations and customer centricity in every aspect of our operations, from products and services as well as customer care and engagement. HLB's ethos of being Digital-At-The-Core powered by customers-at-the-forefront will continue to lead us to innovate offerings in line with our aspiration of being a highly digital and innovative financial services organization.