Kiran Mahil: Digitising trust in retail banking at Nationwide - Ctrl Alt Lead podcast

Retail products CIO discusses modernising platforms to compete with challenger banks without losing mutual spirit

Nationwide CIO Retail Products Kiran Mahil offers a thoughtful take at how a trusted financial institution can innovate responsibly, compete with digital challengers and build a future-ready workforce — all while staying true to its mutual values.

As retail banking continues to evolve at pace, established institutions face a delicate balancing act: modernising technology while maintaining the trust and accessibility customers expect. In the latest episode of Ctrl Alt Lead, Computing Associate Editor Penny Horwood speaks to Kiran Mahil, CIO of Retail Products at Nationwide Building Society, about how the UK’s largest mutual is navigating that challenge.

Nationwide’s approach to digitisation and automation is about far more than moving services online. Instead, Nationwide is building a customer-centric, multi-channel ecosystem that combines advanced cloud platforms, resilient core banking systems and continued investment in branches. This hybrid strategy allows customers to choose how they engage, while ensuring services remain inclusive and reliable.

Mahil also shares her perspective on what “good digitisation” looks like in financial services, highlighting the importance of seamless journeys, strong security, effective use of data and AI, and technology estates that are easier and more efficient to run.

The episode also provides insight into the early stages of integrating Virgin Money following Nationwide’s acquisition. Mahil describes the complexity of bringing together two large organisations, the importance of early strategic decisions, and the challenge of maintaining resilience, growth and staff engagement throughout a long-term integration programme.

Beyond technology, the conversation turns to people. Mahil is a passionate advocate for developing future talent and widening access to digital careers. She discusses Nationwide’s work with apprenticeships, graduates and early-career professionals, as well as the growing impact of AI on entry-level roles and career pathways.

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