Shinhan Financial chief calls on executives to become 'coordinators, not managers' in AI era

Shinhan Financial Group gathered about 300 of its executives at its second-half management forum, identifying the recovery of market competitiveness and AI transformation — known internally as AX — as its top priorities. Chairman Jin Ok-dong told attendees that "there is no future if we do not change now," calling for a shift in leadership style and stronger execution in the AI era.

The group held the "2026 Second-Half Management Forum" on July 3 and 4 at Shinhan Bank's Blue Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, it announced Saturday. The forum ran under the slogan "Vibrant Shinhan, Total Immersion" and focused on restoring the group's market position and accelerating its AI transformation.

Jin said "willpower and resolve alone are not enough to achieve our goals," adding that the group must set ambitious targets grounded in "immersion and teamwork," on top of developing differentiated products and services. He said executives in the AI era must become coordinators rather than managers, and that "leaders themselves must start using AI to strengthen their individual capabilities."

The forum centered on diagnosing the group's current standing and reassessing its execution strategies. The first day opened with a video imagining a scenario in which Shinhan Financial had disappeared from the market by 2030, followed by lectures examining the group's competitiveness from an outside perspective. Participants shared a sense of urgency about the rapidly shifting financial landscape and discussed ways to restore the group's competitive edge.

Executives then shared the progress and setbacks of their work based on "metacognition notes" prepared in advance, exchanging mutual feedback. They subsequently used "reboot notes" to revisit their execution strategies and identify key obstacles and solutions.

Particularly notable was the role played by an AI agent developed in-house by Shinhan Financial, which served as a "red team" in the discussions. The AI analyzed debate content in real time, offering counterarguments and alternatives, and was also used to provide feedback on pre-assigned tasks and evaluate presentations, lending greater objectivity to the proceedings. A working group composed of non-standing directors and staff from subsidiaries also joined the discussions to review execution strategies.

The second day focused on assessing the group's AX progress and sharing second-half plans for the transition to an AI-native company. Participants reviewed workplace innovation outcomes through case studies of AI agent use at individual subsidiaries. An AI solution experience booth was also set up on-site, allowing executives to try out various AI technologies firsthand.

Shinhan Financial plans to use the discussions from this forum to accelerate its group-wide AI transformation and strengthen execution in the second half of the year. Earlier this year, the group selected a cohort of key internal talent — designated "AX innovation leaders" — to drive its AI transformation efforts.