Discussion Framework: As banking grows more embedded, personalised and platform-driven, competition is shifting from products and channels to ownership of the customer relationship itself. This session examines how incumbent banks, neobanks, payment networks and digital ecosystems are vying to become the customer's primary financial interface and what that means for the industry's future shape. Panellists will explore how AI and agentic banking, embedded finance, hyper-personalisation, new payment models and data-driven engagement are reshaping acquisition, distribution, loyalty and trust—and, in turn, redefining how retail banking creates value.
Central Question: In the next decade, who will own the customer relationship: the institution that holds the account, or the platform that controls the experience?