Chief Information and Technology Leader of the Year 2024 goes to Mr. Ruangroj Poonpol, Group Chairman of KASIKORN Business Technology Group (KBTG)

Under his transformative leadership, Kasikorn Group in Thailand has become a regional beacon of innovation and stability, modernising infrastructure and spearheading advanced digital solutions, thereby establishing it as one of the most progressive and technological resilient financial institutions in the region. 

Having led the group's architectural and infrastructure modernisation over the last five years, he pursued the development of new data centres, smart operations with AI and automation, decentralised finance projects alongside the development of a hybrid cloud strategy, and the implementation of new systems such as in digital lending and data science.  

At the same time, he spearheaded the development team behind the Kasikornbank’s  flagship mobile platform, K PLUS, and its regional implementation in Vietnam and Laos, driving the focus on mobile-first capabilities.  

These year-long transformational projects have yielded strong results and have led to significant improvements in efficiency, resilience, operational productivity, customer experience, and business growth.  

Under his leadership he enabled the group to scale its operations in Thailand and expand to four countries in the region within three years. It secured the position as Thailand's most stable bank for four consecutive years, processing a significant share of the nation's financial transactions with remarkable service availability. 

This commitment also extended to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration at Kasikornbank Technology Group (KBTG). He strategically led the infusion of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning, positioning KBTG as a leader in technological innovation in the regional financial sector. These initiatives include pioneering ventures like MAKE by KBank and KhunThong, a market leading LINE chatbot. 

He also established and commercialised new tech-based ventures under its venture builder initiative, KX, which is powered by a $100 million flagship fund and investment arm, to boost the growth of deep tech and drive market adoption. All of these initiatives extensively expanded the group’s operational footprint across borders and sectors while perpetuating the culture of innovation within the organisation. 

It is now with great pleasure and deep respect that I announce on behalf of The Asian Banker, and together with the unanimous vote of the International Technology Advisory Council, that Mr. Ruangroj Poonpol, Group Chairman of KASIKORN Business Technology Group (KBTG), has been named the Chief Information and Technology Leader of the Year for his outstanding and visionary leadership in the transformation of Kasikornbank (Kbank) and the Kasikorn Group (K-Group) over the past five years.