Anext Bank’s new CEO leverages CTO stint to grow SME lending by financing AI hardware

[SINGAPORE] It has been about one and a half years since Qiu Kai took over as chief executive of digital wholesale lender Anext Bank, stepping up from his previous role as chief technology officer (CTO).

The route from CTO to CEO is uncommon, he acknowledged, but one that has proven valuable at a technology-driven, digital wholesale bank.

“Now in the role of CEO, it widens my lens. I’ve got a lot more information and understanding from other areas of the business that allows me to better leverage my technical knowledge to come up with more sustainable and different kinds of strategies,” he told The Business Times.