In our Stars of the Accelerator series, we explore the transformation journey of the participants in the Leadapreneur Accelerator.

Trixia Wong

From the anxiety of waiting for answers, to the pile of paperwork that needs to be filled, applying for a loan can be a long and tedious process. The consequent frustration is not only felt by the customers, but also by bank staff.

Personal Loans Product Manager, Trixia, set out to find a solution to make this process smoother and faster. She noticed that there are two key issues with the existing process:
- Manual processes contribute to a long Turn Around Time (TAT)
-The need for sales people and processing officers at various stages of the process translate in incurring high expenses

Trixia joined the Accelerator to challenge herself by transforming a business model that had been running on traditional methods for several years. Her project is to revamp and digitize the process using existing tools that the bank already has.

Moving forward, existing bank customers can use a digital platform to apply for a personal loan online. This project has been valued at the astounding amount of USD 5 million in projected sales volumes for 2019!

The online portal will drastically improve customer satisfaction because:
- Customers will be able to receive the banks decision on their application almost instantly
- They will no longer have to scan and email documents to the bank
- They can apply for loans anytime, from anywhere.

As for the bank, the advantages are tremendous:
- The bank will save money by eliminating paper application forms
- Fewer human interventions mean decreased costs
- Bank staff can focus on other more fulfilling tasks instead of mundane ones
- The project will ensure the bank’s longevity and relevance in the market
- Greater profits will be generated since the bank will be able to process a higher volume of loans
- Reduced overall TAT

Trixia set out to become a game changer and has literally become one. This is only the beginning, as she is now empowered with confidence and drive. She credits the support and encouragement from her cohort and Leadapreneur Coach, Kar Fei, for helping her maximize her potential.
Her motto is One Step At A Time.

Congratulations Trixia in becoming a Star of the Accelerator!

In our Stars of the Accelerator series, we explore the transformation journey of the participants in the Leadapreneur Accelerator.

Ganesh Ramakrishnan and Manikandan Vijaykumar

Assistant Vice President Bankers, Ganesh and Manikandan, joined the Accelerator because they believe it is a great platform to maximize their potential and achieve the impossible. The pair joined forces to solve problems for their stakeholders.

Instead of picking a problem to solve, the team decided to listen to what their stakeholders need. They crowdsourced ideas by collecting feedback from multiple end users. After exploring many options, they decided to work on a solution to make Anti Money Laundering (AML) a more transparent process.

AML cases require review by the investigations team. Currently, in order to properly review cases, investigators have to put a lot of time and effort to collect accurate data. The manual method of data collection not only takes time, but it’s also prone to error.

Ganesh and Manikandan created a data collection tool called BEAM (Build Efficient AML Marvels).
To date, the tool has saved RM378k!
BEAM will help to;
- collect data faster using web automation
- ensure that the data is error and bias free
- free up time for investigators to pay closer attention to case reviews

Initially, the tool was developed using tools which had severe performance issues. The team persevered to address the issues. After extensive research and discussion with technical experts, they discovered that they should be using entirely different tools such as Java and Selenium. Though these technologies were new to them, the pair took the effort to educate themselves on the programming concepts.

Another challenge was that the automation tools were not readily available. With patience and perseverance, the team leveraged on their network of colleagues across regions and finally gained access to the tools and packages that they required.

Having no access to the case review applications, the team had to develop the BEAM using test environments and then synchronize the code with production systems.

Despite the hurdles, Ganesh and Manikandan managed to get their project results validated. They credit the Accelerator for giving them the confidence to see this project through. Their common motto is “Dream Big. Dream Impossible.”

Congratulations Ganesh and Manikandan in becoming Stars of the Accelerator! 

In our Stars of the Accelerator series, we explore the transformation journey of the participants in the Leadapreneur Accelerator.

Khay Khoon (KK) Hong

The forex market is a fickle raging ocean. To haul in big profits, FX traders have to take big risks in the trading market's volatile environment. Losses are part of their daily lives.

Seeing the emotional toll that profit loss has on his colleagues and himself, FX Trader KK decided it was time for a lifeboat. He set out to devise an ambitious strategy that would:

-Minimize losses

-Improve traders’ mental health

-Generate profits for the company

Currently traders use a variety of tools to help them decide how to buy and sell. The most common ones are news reports, historical price data and financial data from Bloomberg services. KK observed that there is one crucial factor missing from the equation: timing. His innovative strategy involves analysing trends and determining at what time of the day to buy and sell. 

KK was able to identify a pattern in the prices, for example during which time frame prices go up and at what specific time there is always a downward move. He built a systematic data-driven trading strategy and implemented it across multiple currencies. 

After testing it out and some initial losses, KK recalibrated the strategy with a few tweaks in the parameters. He made changes to the timing, modified currency pairs and more.

This strategy is set to generate an astounding USD 500k in profits within a year!

The biggest challenge was the losses incurred at the early stages. They filled KK with self doubt on the validity of the strategy. Nevertheless, he pushed through with determination and perseverance. He is continually reviewing and improving the strategy to find the optimal timing. The strategy quickly became increasingly profitable and it's only the beginning. 

The Accelerator environment encouraged KK to believe in himself and his ability to bring positive change. He used to navigate the existing system without giving much thought on how he can be an influencer. Now, feels empowered to be part of the underlying current that disrupts the system.

Congratulations KK in becoming a Star of the Accelerator! 

In our Stars of the Accelerator series, we explore the transformation journey of the participants in the Leadapreneur Accelerator.

Anna Tan 
​
Data breaches are increasingly making headlines. Before disclosing private information, consumers want the assurance that their Personal Identifiable Information (PII) will be safe. In this climate of distrust and uncertainty over data privacy, banker Anna saw an opportunity to bring peace of mind to clients. Her innovative project would allow the bank to make data more secure and ensure compliance with bank policies. 

Anna’s idea is to harness the power of technology to automate certain tasks such as:
- Auto-truncating historical email content. This eliminates the risk of any tampering of emails. 
- Making email attachments secure by a system-level validation process.
- Masking customer account numbers in email correspondence for extra privacy. 

This automation system will ensure zero errors and eliminate PII non-compliance. Anna’s target is nothing short of ambitious: 100% security compliance. The project will save an estimated amount of RM49k per year!

Along with the incredible amount of savings, Anna’s goals are extraordinary: 
-Zero penalties from the central bank since compliance breaches will be eliminated.
-Zero legal action taken by clients.
-Maintain the bank’s excellent reputation.

The main challenge was to obtain consensus among stakeholders on the technical solutions. Anna stayed focused, determined and patient. She eventually obtained mutual agreement by actively engaging with the stakeholders and giving it her all. 

Anna believes that automation will be beneficial for her colleagues and herself. Penalties, legal action and human error, take a toll on employee morale. This project will motivate staff to increase their productivity and free their time to focus on high value activities. 


The Accelerator inspired Anna to overcome the fear of rejection. She discovered that she is capable of courage and persistence. She pushed her limits and is now on a path towards living an extraordinary life. Her motto is “ Above and beyond.”

Congratulations Anna in becoming a Star Of The Accelerator!