BANKING, FINANCE PRACTITIONERS SHOULD PURSUE CHARTERED BANKER MBA -- AZMAN HASHIM 

KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 (Bernama) -- Banking and finance practitioners should consider pursuing the Chartered Banker MBA to further their professional journey, Asian Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB) chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim said. 

He said bankers could apply for the Chartered Banker MBA offered by the Asian Banking School and supported by AICB at Bangor Business School in Wales, the United Kingdom. 

"This is a special accelerated route that allows AICB Chartered Bankers to expedite their knowledge journey and attain an MBA in as short a time as 12 months. 

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"At the same time, you will get two degrees. You will have chartered banker and MBA. I encourage you to consider it," he said after the AICB fifth Chartered Banker Conferment here on Saturday.

At the event, 177 individuals were conferred their chartered banker designations by AICB.

Azman said the Chartered Banker MBA is an additional qualification that could be an advantage for banking and finance practitioners to strive in a more competitive and wider industry. 

In his opening remarks, Azman said competent and highly-skilled banking talents were critical for Malaysia's financial system to function effectively, citing the Bank Negara Malaysia Financial Sector Blueprint 2022-2036. 

"Therefore, not only do you have the competitive advantage to excel in your role as banking professionals but more significantly, talents like yourself will continue to be Malaysia's competitive advantage in fuelling a resilient, progressive and sustainable economy and helping it remain among the leading financial hubs in the region," he said. 

Azman noted that banking and finance practitioners need to apply credibility and trustworthiness in relationship with clients, employers and stakeholders, as the financial industry is a business where trust is paramount. 

He cited author and business consultant Patrick Dixon as saying that in banking or finance, trust is the only thing you have to sell. 

"As such, if our profession is to be respected, capable of offering true value, and thrive in the future, it must attain and retain strong public trust and confidence.

"For even as change and disruption become the new normal, trust remains constant at the core of banking, and it is your utmost responsibility as a banker to inspire public confidence in the profession, given the far-reaching impact of banking on the economy and the wider community," he said. 

As responsible and sustainable banking becomes the future, with greater emphasis on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda, he said the industry will need more chartered bankers who possess strong core skills in credit, lending and risk management, coupled with a deep understanding of the ethical and social purpose of banking.

Azman emphasised that professionalising the banking workforce is one of the ways to build stronger culture of ethical professionalism, which will support and complement ESG goals and responsibilities as an industry. 

"As you embark on your professional career, as AICB members and chartered bankers, always aim to abide by the Code of Professional Conduct and observe the oath to serve with the highest standards of professionalism and ethics to the best of your ability. 

"As chairmen of AICB and the Financial Industry Collective Outreach (FINCO), which represents the financial industry in Malaysia, I am heartened to see this sense of responsibility towards the community in action," he said.

AICB has 630 chartered bankers and over 34,000 members.

-- BERNAMA