Steve Monaghan is Executive Chairman of Human AI Pte Ltd, serves on the Bank Board, Strategy, Risk and BRNC committees of Rakbank (UAE’s leading SME Bank), is a board member at Pulse Global, a Limited Partner and investment committee member in True Global Ventures, and a private investor in Deeptech, Healthtech, and Fintech.
Originally a commercial pilot, Steve has held senior corporate and banking roles in product, marketing, operations, innovation and general management. He has worked for leading corporations and financial institutions including Dell, Compaq, Citigroup, OCBC, Shinsei, DBS Bank, Riyad Bank and AIA. Throughout his career, Steve has specialized in introducing new business models, businesses and products in all major markets in Asia and has filed 6 patents in FinTech.
Steve was on the start-up team for Dell Computer, introducing Dell’s consumer business to Asia. Later he developed and executed the branded manufacturing and retail model catapulting Compaq to number one in the Indian consumer market. In banking Steve developed and patented the first mobile payments platform for Citigroup, developed a Consumer Finance Division for OCBC and led the retail bank turnaround of Shinsei Bank in Japan growing revenues USD$500M, deposits 25% and improving net income by USD$100M during a nine-month transformation.
As founding Chief Innovation Officer for DBS Bank, Steve drove the innovation agenda focused on Payments (PayLah), SME (Business Class), GTS (Working Capital Advisory), AI, and Big Data, culminating in the $220+M investment of DBS in innovation projects, including DBS A*Star R&D Lab, DX transformation (dbs.com), Digital Onboarding, and DBS Digital Banking. During Steve’s tenure, DBS transformed from 3rd most innovative bank in Singapore to being awarded "Most Innovative Large Business” at ASEAN Business Awards. DBS is now a global brand recognized as the world’s leading Digital Bank and SME Bank, founded on capabilities and platforms built during his tenure.
At AIA, Steve founded and led the Edge team, building Asia and Oceania's leading corporate Accelerator launching Hong Kong's first Unicorn, became the first Insurance company to join R3 blockchain consortium, pioneered Digital Health in Asia, and initiated the company's journey into Artificial Intelligence. Steve created Gen.Life, a Silicon Valley-based start-up in which AIA became the lead investor, which was the world’s first AI underwriting company designed to transform insurance from protection to prevention. Steve took the company from zero to USD$100M valuation in ten months.
Steve is a frequent presenter, author, and lecturer around the world on subjects including innovation, banking, insurance, working capital, M&A, artificial intelligence, and investing. He has served as an adviser to Intel, ASTRI (HK), AIA, and Veritas Genetics. Steve holds an EMBA with ‘first in class academic standing’ from the Helsinki School of Economics and has attended senior leadership courses at IMD and Wharton.
