The new top trend at the earnings conference! As bank CIOs step into the spotlight one after another, how will the "brainpower" lead the future?

When AI, computing power, and data become new “means of production” for the banking industry, digital transformation is entering the deep waters of “technology-driven, strategic core.” A group that once worked behind the scenes is now increasingly stepping into the spotlight—Chief Information Officers (CIOs) of banks.

At the 2025 earnings release conference, the CIO took the stage alongside the chairman and the president, directly facing the market, becoming a new top draw at earnings calls.

From being the “caretaker” of technology operations and maintenance to the “helmsman” of digital and intelligent transformation, the identity shift of the CIO signals that technology has been upgraded in banks from a “cost item” to a “growth engine.” Carrying practical experience such as an AI full-scenario playbook, large-model deployment outcomes, and talent development systems, they are conveying to the market their resolve and the path for banking technology transformation.

CIOs go “mainstream” with a collective tech boost

At the 2025 bank earnings release conferences, a group that had previously been rarely seen is now stepping onto the stage in unison, bringing “tech buffs.” They are the banks’ CIOs. As the “technical caretakers” who used to work behind the scenes, they are now moving into the spotlight in high frequency, conveying to the market the implementation progress of bank technology transformation and their future plans.

As AI technology moves from “perception and cognition” to “decision and execution,” banks’ applications of AI have broken through the tool layer.

Bank of Communications vice president and CIO Qian Bin opened by laying out an “AI full-scenario playbook.” He emphasized that by using AI to transform technological elements, intellectual property, and digital assets into credit assets, and by optimizing equity, bonds, loans, leases, and custody (products) portfolios through algorithmic models, banks can provide customers with comprehensive end-to-end services.

After a development phase of scale expansion and speed competition, “value first, cost under control” has become the direction of banking transformation. Niu Xinzhuang, vice president of Postal Savings Bank and CIO, mentioned four major directions—low capital, low cost, high efficiency, and high intelligence—spelling out Postal Savings’ transformation thinking. On the “low-cost” path, “leveraging the digital and intelligent platform as the engine” to strengthen scenario enablement; “using the capital ledger as the target” to carry out lead-generation actions; “relying on the bill and certification document ecosystem” to accumulate low-cost funding; and “making comprehensive risk control the core” to reduce risk costs.

Leading joint-stock banks are also moving large models from the lab to front-line business. Since 2023, when Minsheng Bank? (Actually招商银行) Chairman Miao Jianmin proposed building the industry’s first smart bank, China Merchants Bank has begun deploying large-model applications. “By the end of 2025, we have cumulatively deployed 856 large-model application scenarios,” the bank’s CIO Zhou Tianhong presented the latest results with a set of data. China Merchants Bank categorizes the roles large models can play into three types by quantitative standards: high value, medium value, and low value. He also previewed that in 2026, high-value work items will be fully implemented across the board.

When AI applications become standard, “talent support” is equally important. CIO Zhang Bin of China Minsheng Bank frankly said that starting from early 2024, the bank’s recruitment for technology-line personnel has focused on three major areas: AI, security, and architecture. In 2025, it established a standardized training and certification system for AI engineers, and also formulated a coordination mechanism between business analysts and intelligent solution architects to support the shift from earnings integration to co-creating earnings.

With bank CIOs making frequent appearances at earnings release conferences, they are sending three clear signals to the capital market. In the view of Bai Wenxi, vice chairman of the China Enterprise Capital Alliance, technology investment has been upgraded from a “cost item” to a “growth engine.” In the past, technology spending in banks’ financial reports was often classified as cost expenditures; the CIO’s stage appearance signals that banks want investors to re-understand the investment. AI, computing power, and data are not consumable inputs, but strategic assets that can generate “credit assets” and drive business monetization. Digital transformation has entered “deep waters.” The CIO sharing the stage with the chairman and the president shows that technology strategy has risen to a “top-leader project,” conveying to the market the banks’ determination and execution capability to advance full digital and intelligent transformation. Banks are building differentiated competitiveness in “technology narratives.” Each bank, through the words of its CIO, is drawing a unique technology blueprint for investors, using technology capability as a new leverage point for valuation premium.

Internal promotions and cross-sector recruiting increase gradually

From the CIOs’ collective statements, it is not hard to see that they are no longer merely managers of technology operations and maintenance. Instead, they are makers of technology strategy, promoters of business integration, and excavators of data value.

As the highest-ranking leader in the field of bank information technology, the CIO’s core responsibility is to take the lead in establishing an efficient, secure, and continuously improvable information technology system, fully bearing core responsibilities such as planning, building, operating and maintaining, and securing information technology for the bank.

The CIO groups at state-owned banks generally have extensive industry experience and rich internal management experience, and most of them are core backbones who have worked in the bank for a long time, gradually growing into their roles. For example, Qian Bin originally came from the “ICBC system,” having served as general manager of the Information Technology Department of the Shanghai Branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, deputy general manager of the Information Technology Department at the head office, and deputy general manager of the Private Banking Department, among other positions. He later became vice president of Bank of Communications and CIO.

Niu Xinzhuang previously served as general manager of the technology development department of China Minsheng Bank and general manager of the information technology department, and general manager of Minsheng Technology. In 2020, he joined Postal Savings Bank as general manager of the Financial Technology Innovation Department. These state-owned bank CIOs have been deeply engaged in the banking system for many years. They not only understand the operating logic of various bank businesses and the characteristics of customer needs, but also have a deep grasp of the development history of the bank’s information technology and its existing foundations.

Moreover, the establishment of this important role is not exclusive to listed banks or large and mid-sized banks. Compared with state-owned banks, for medium and small banks, CIO selection and appointment models are more flexible and diverse. They can come through internal promotions as well as public “open auditions” and talent introductions from other institutions. For example, the newly appointed CIO of Beijing Rural Commercial Bank, Yi Yongfeng, had long worked on the technology line at Huaxia Bank beforehand. He previously served as deputy general manager of the Information Technology Department at Huaxia Bank and director of the Big Data Services Center.

Banks such as Shangrao Bank also previously conducted public “open auditions” for the head-office CIO position, setting explicit requirements for candidates, such as: having more than six years of experience in information technology work; needing strong insight into and successful deployment experience with technologies including big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and blockchain; and having foresight regarding emerging information technologies as well as hands-on capabilities to implement digital transformation strategies.

According to an incomplete count by Beijing Business Daily reporters, since 2025, about 30 banks—including Rizhao Bank, Shangrao Bank, Langfang Bank, Hebei Provincial Rural Credit Cooperatives Union, Guangxi Beibu Gulf Bank, Xiamen International Bank, Heilongjiang Bank, and Liaoshen Bank—have had their CIO appointment qualifications approved.

As Bai Wenxi said, the “internal promotion” model at state-owned banks reflects prioritization of choosing people who “understand banks.” Veteran talent on the technology line deeply understands banking business logic and the regulatory environment, which can avoid the “two skins” problem between technology and business. Medium and small banks, through internal promotions, external recruitment, and public open auditions, can better address structural weaknesses in talent reserves. However, attention must be paid to the CIO’s voice and influence in strategic decision-making. At the same time, technology investment cycles are long and returns are slow, creating an inherent tension with banks’ short-term performance assessments.

How to make CIOs truly “responsible, empowered, and effective”

In the future, competition in the banking industry is no longer limited to scale, branch outlets, and traditional business comparisons. It is the competition of capabilities to implement technology strategies. Based on publicly available data from 2025, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Bank of China’s financial technology investments all exceeded 25 billion yuan. Joint-stock banks are also moving in step. China Merchants Bank’s information technology investment reached 12.9B yuan; China Everbright Bank’s technology investment as a share of operating revenue is about 5%; Huaxia Bank and Industrial Bank’s information technology investment as shares of revenue are 4.29% and 3.58%, respectively. At a recent earnings release conference, Chairman Zhang Weizhong of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank also disclosed that over the past three years, the bank’s cumulative technology investment reached 21.7 billion yuan, with the bank’s total number of technology personnel staying stable at around 6,000 people.

As bank technology transformation goes deeper—from upgrading foundational architecture and optimizing data governance to building intelligent risk control, innovating scenario-based finance, and enabling operations with AI—every link depends on efficient technology coordination and implementation execution. In this process, the CIO’s decision-making level, resource allocation capability, and execution efficiency will directly determine a bank’s long-term competitiveness.

How can CIOs truly achieve “responsible, empowered, and effective”? Analysts say that on one hand, it is necessary to clarify the boundaries of the CIO’s responsibilities and authority within the bank’s overall strategy. On the other hand, it is necessary to establish an assessment and incentive system that matches it.

Dong Ximiao, chief economist of China UnionPay? Actually 联通财? (Actually 招联首席经济学家董希淼) said that for different types of banks, especially medium and small banks, to effectively play the CIO role, more measures are needed. Clearly define responsibilities and authority; empower from a high position. Commercial banks not only need to establish a CIO, but also must ensure the CIO has real responsibilities, real authority, and can be effective. The CIO must be a member of the bank’s executive management team—serving concurrently as deputy president is possible—and be able to enter the board, participating deeply in strategic decision-making, rather than serving merely as the head of a technology line. At the same time, combine internal and external approaches to cultivate talent. The CIO cannot be the only one fighting; the bank should adhere to a combination of “internal capacity-building” and “external intelligence introduction,” strengthening the construction of a financial technology team. On one hand, encourage technology backbones to rotate to the front line of business, and business backbones to learn technology thinking, to cultivate versatile talent; on the other hand, introduce and optimize talent from outside through methods such as “open auditions.”

Bai Wenxi suggests that in terms of organizational structure, it is advisable to establish a “Technology Strategy Committee” directly led by the chairman, with the CIO serving as the executive director and having veto rights. Separating the technology budget from traditional finance lines, the bank would set up an independent “strategic technology fund,” giving the CIO primary authority over where the funds are directed, to avoid the compression of long-term technology investment by short-term performance pressure. In the assessment mechanism, implement a “dual-track” evaluation system: for CIOs, not only assess technology delivery efficiency, but also assess the effectiveness of technology in enabling business, and introduce “technology investment return ratio” as a core KPI—making CIOs responsible for the commercial returns of technology investments.

Regarding talent mechanisms, Bai Wenxi further pointed out that it is necessary to break the constraints of banks’ traditional compensation systems on technology talent, grant the CIO a certain proportion of compensation autonomy for the purpose of hiring top algorithm engineers and architects. Meanwhile, establish a “two-way rotation” system between technology and business departments, to cultivate a pipeline of versatile talent that understands both technology and business, fundamentally solving the talent bottleneck of integrating technology and business.

Beijing Business Daily reporter Song Yitong

(Editor: Qian Xiaorui)

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