Being the change we want to see

 

A business transformation process is never easy, and certainly KFH Malaysia’s turnaround plan is no exception. In the current push to reinvigorate the Bank, the Creating Footsteps initiative provides a framework for organisation-wide culture shift and employee empowerment.

 

One of the key things that David Power, KFH Malaysia’s CEO, wanted to do in the transformational process was to foster a sense of ownership and encourage collaboration. Creating Footsteps provided that platform.

 

Creating Footsteps comprises four focus areas - Community, Marketplace, Workplace and Environment - each with a team of volunteers coming together from all levels of the hierarchy and across departments to work together for a common cause. This close cooperation has facilitated a much better sense of belonging and collaboration within the Bank.

 

Here are some thoughts from our Team Leads themselves about the factors driving Creating Footsteps’ success and its impact on the Bank and the world.

 

 

Community Team

 

Aminuddin Abu Bakar, Assistant Vice President, Head of Shariah

Lead for Community

 

OUR VISION: We Manufacture Smiles!

Through Creating Footsteps, employees have an avenue to demonstrate the way of Islam to the various communities around us. We are glad to see employees from across departments happily contributing their time, effort and also in kind in our projects.

 

Moving forward, the Community Team is pursuing several collaborations with strategic partners, so that the Bank can impact a wider community.

 

 

Workplace Team

 

Debra Ovinis, Senior Vice President, Human Resources,

Lead for Workplace

 

OUR VISION: An Inclusive, Innovative, Diversified & Healthy Office

We want to foster the thinking that everyone a stakeholder in their own well-being, and thus contribute to a sense of place and belonging in the Bank.

 

We are glad to see such positive response from staff. People from across departments have collaborated to come up with many fruitful initiatives.These include talks and events to improve ourselves professionally as well as individually. The Workplace Team is currently working on several more programmes to support employees, such as internal career fair where employees can get support to chart their career path in the Bank.

 

Environment Team

 

Ida Aizun Husin, Senior Vice President, Acting Head of Corporate Banking      

Lead for Environment

 

OUR VISION: Creating A Greener World

We believe that for society to continue to thrive, we need to care for the world that God created and leave it better place for future generations. This is a huge issue, but the Environment Team is starting with getting the basics right.

 

We are glad to see that through our initiatives, many staff are beginning to care of the environment immediately around them in everyday practical ways, such as separating waste and greening the office environment, We are now exploring programmes that would have a larger impact.

 

 

Marketplace Team

Azleena Idris, Vice President, Head of Legal & Acting Head of Compliance

Lead for Marketplace

 

OUR VISION: Doing Business With Heart

Team Marketplace is all about inculcating the true universal values of Islamic finance in the way we at KFH Malaysia do our business. Doing business with all our stakeholders’ interest in mind, with care, sustainably and responsibly are the core foundations to this initiative. Our stakeholders are the people who work together with us, the people who we serve as customers, our shareholders and the communities where we have presence. They are our partners.

 

For these reasons team Marketplace works with the industry, the lawmakers, the policymakers, regulators, academia and the media to infuse our thought leadership in Islamic finance. This includes:

 

• Holding office in industry professional organizations, assisting in module development and technical reviewer for the Chartered Islamic Finance Professional qualification;
• Speaker at national and international industry conferences, seminars and events in the area of Islamic fintech, blockchain and distributed technology, sustainability and innovation;
• Guest lecturer at professional associations, universities and higher learning institutions; and
• Guest columnist in print media on these issues.

 

Creating Footsteps moving forward

In the six months since the launch of Creating Footsteps, each Team has carried out several long term and ad hoc activities. All of them have had a net positive effect within their sphere of influence.  This is a testament of great teamwork As walls are broken down and rank and file employees have the opportunity to work closely with and even lead top management on projects. Besides empowering employees, this has also helped the Bank identify many hidden talents.

 

We look forward to see where our employees will be Creating Footsteps to in future. Wherever it is, we’re very positive about it.