As part of its strategic ambition to become a digitally advanced, customer-centric financial institution, 1st National Bank has successfully completed its participation in an intensive eight-week Digital Transformation Workshop led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The programme was sponsored by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Caribbean Association of Banks (CAB).
A team of ten managerial and technical professionals from 1st National Bank participated in the workshop, which brought together participants from five leading financial institutions from the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union and Trinidad. The initiative was designed to strengthen digital readiness, accelerate innovation, and promote regional collaboration in addressing the rapidly evolving needs of customers and stakeholders.
The workshop focused on core strategic capabilities required for digital transformation. Key topics included: defining a digital strategy and North Star, enabling cultural change, adopting agile operating models, improving process efficiency and risk management, enhancing data-driven decision-making, and exploring the role of disruptive technologies. Each module offered actionable frameworks tailored to the realities of regional banks undergoing transformation.
Ms. Sandra Fontenelle, Acting Managing Director of 1st National Bank, noted, “The workshop has enhanced the Bank’s internal capacity to prioritize digital initiatives, streamline key customer journeys, and ensure the Bank’s technology investments are aligned with its overall strategic goals. It also provided the Bank with a structured environment for cross-functional collaboration, enabling the Bank to accelerate its innovation agenda while remaining responsive to the needs of the Bank’s customers in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”
At the programme’s closing ceremony, Ms. Wendy Delmar, Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Association of Banks, a sponsor of the workshop, commended the institutions that participated, stating, “The commitment demonstrated by participating banks highlights a shared understanding that the future of Caribbean banking depends on your collective ability to modernize, innovate, and respond effectively to shifting customer expectations. This workshop is more than a capacity-building exercise. It is a strategic inflection point, equipping institutions with the framework and insight to achieve sustained digital growth, deepen financial inclusion, and reinforce resilience across the sector.”
1st National Bank’s engagement in the IFC-led workshop affirms its unwavering focus on innovation, agility, and long-term competitiveness. The Bank is leveraging its learnings to strengthen its digital capabilities and align its business model with the evolving demands of a technology-driven financial ecosystem.
This initiative reflects the Bank’s broader vision of being a forward-thinking institution, one that not only embraces change but helps shape the future of banking in the Eastern Caribbean.