Feature Article | Pioneering Tech in Traditional Banking: Lessons in Leadership From Dame Alison Rose

Lindsey Schlandt
Jan 9
1 min read

Editorial gouache-style illustration of a small business meeting among four professionals in a cozy, well-lit office lounge. Seated in soft armchairs around a low wooden coffee table, a white-haired woman in a rust blazer, a South Asian or Latina woman in a sage-green suit, a blond man in a navy suit, and a Black woman in a white blouse holding a tablet engage in an animated, respectful conversation. The table holds coffee mugs, notebooks, and documents, while soft lighting, potted plants, and a floor lamp in the background create a warm, collaborative mood. The color palette is muted with earthy blues, creams, and terracottas.

Dame Alison Rose framed NatWest’s digital shift as “relationship banking for a digital world,” proving legacy banks can modernise without abandoning their broader responsibilities. She scaled digital adoption and video banking, used tech to remove operational friction inside the bank, and set a clear ethical stance on customer data as trust infrastructure. The playbook also leaned on smart partnerships, meeting customers where they are online while still serving vulnerable and branch-dependent segments that fintechs often do not.

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