Italy's UniCredit has set up a 'transformation and innovation' advisory board, blending internal and external specialists to help guide the Italian bank's digital investment strategy.
UniCredit is mid-way through a painful restructuring programme, which has seen huge cuts in jobs and branch closures, alongside a EUR1.6 billion investment in technology to smooth the transition to online and mobile-centric services.
Building on the recent appointment of Finja Kütz as group chief transformation officer, the new advisory board has been created to explore and evaluate innovative ideas on the future of banking and present 'tangible development opportunities' for perusal by the Board.
The advisory board will include four permanent external members, including UK fintech czar Eileen Burbidge, former White House CIO and founder of cybersecurity firm Dark Cubed, Theresa Payton, MIT professor Carlo Ratti, and Vodafone's chief data and analytics officer Katia Walsh.
Jean Pierre Mustier, CEO of UniCredit, says: "The banking sector is evolving rapidly and at UniCredit we intend to seize opportunities and develop innovative solutions to better serve all our customers. We look to the future as our Transform 2019 marathon reaches the final stretch, and this innovative transformation & innovation advisory board will allow us to better challenge pre-conceived patterns and explore exciting new concepts."