CIMB’s Technology Drive Cuts Costs and Expands Digital Banking Leverage

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, 31 August 2026 – CIMB Group Holdings is using process simplification, technology and artificial intelligence to reduce operating costs while redirecting staff toward higher-value work. The strategy is beginning to show measurable results: second-quarter 2026 operating expenses declined 1.6% from the previous quarter, helping improve the group’s cost-to-income ratio by 200 basis points to 45.2%.

Group chief executive officer Novan Amirudin said the approach starts with removing unnecessary steps before applying technology. That sequencing matters because automating inefficient processes can preserve complexity rather than eliminate it. A cleaner operating model can improve customer response times, strengthen control and allow the bank to scale transaction volumes without matching growth in its expense base. The resulting productivity gains could support margins as competition intensifies across regional banking.