KB and Shinhan Set 2026 Agenda: AI-First Execution, Market Expansion, and Inclusive Finance
Two of Korea's largest financial groups opened the year by pulling every senior leader into the same room and setting a clear bar for 2026: move fast on AI-driven execution, push into new markets, and build products that are both productive and inclusive.
Why this matters
AI is now a front-office and back-office priority, not a side project. For bank executives, the signal is unambiguous: modernize operating models, prove impact with measurable outcomes, and anchor everything in trust and risk discipline.
KB Financial: Transition at speed, expansion with discipline
On January 9, KB Financial Group brought together roughly 260 executives for its 2026 First Half Group Executive Workshop led by Chairman Yang Jong-hee. He called for accelerating the transition of business models and work methods using AI as a strategic weapon, and for leading change through expansion into new markets and customers. He also stressed paying customers back with expertise that reflects the core of finance: trust.
Vice Chairman Jo Young-seo focused on transforming business models and workflows. CFO Na Sang-rok laid out core tasks and execution plans for market and customer expansion. The agenda also included a JP Morgan economist's briefing on global trends and Korea's outlook-useful context for timing investments and risk posture.
Shinhan Financial: Longer strategy cycle, accountability for innovation
Shinhan Financial Group extended its annual Business Strategy Meeting to two nights and three days, bringing in about 250 executives led by Chairman Jin Ok-dong. He urged leaders to pair independent thinking with a strong sense of responsibility, asking them to be the spark for innovation and strengthen Shinhan's future competitiveness.
The group examined why past innovation efforts fell short and set clearer direction for what comes next. Every attendee built a mandala chart-an eight-by-eight goal-mapping tool that breaks a big target into practical, near-term actions-to design their own approach to execution.
What executives should do next
- Set an AI operating agenda: define 3-5 high-value use cases across credit, fraud, wealth, SME, and service; assign owners; commit to quarterly delivery.
- Lock in model risk and data guardrails: inventory models, standardize validation, and implement human-in-the-loop for high-stakes decisions. See the Financial Stability Board's overview on AI in finance for baseline considerations. FSB: AI and ML in Financial Services
- Measure trust, not just throughput: track fairness, explainability, complaint rates, and outcome stability alongside cost-to-serve and cycle time.
- Build for productive and inclusive finance: expand credit access for viable SMEs, offer safer debt restructuring paths, and design low-friction savings and protection products for underserved segments.
- Reskill leaders and teams: product owners and risk leads need fluency in AI workflows, prompt design, and model limits-grounded in compliance and customer outcomes. Curated options for finance teams are here: AI Tools for Finance
- Tie funding to evidence: release budget in stages against live KPIs-NII uplift, loss reduction, cross-sell conversion, and time-to-yes improvements.
Signals to watch in 1H 2026
- Concrete AI deployments in credit decisioning, financial crime detection, and contact centers with clear ROI and risk metrics.
- New-customer plays: youth and silver segments, small merchants, and cross-border propositions.
- Partnerships that compress time-to-market: data providers, cloud platforms, model validators, and fintech distribution.
- Regulatory guidance updates on AI governance, explainability, and consumer protection-and how quickly groups operationalize them.
The takeaway is straightforward: both groups are signaling execution over theater. AI is the means, trust is the standard, and 2026 is about shipping measurable improvements-quarter after quarter.
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