CMB's technology leadership has seen a recent change, with the bank promoting an internal candidate to lead the Digital Finance Development Office, while CIO Zhou Tianhong has relinquished his concurrent position as head of that office.
Zhou Tianhong, born in December 1967, holds a master's degree in Computer Software from Nanjing University and is an engineer. He joined CMB in September 1994 and has served at the bank for over 30 years. His career at CMB includes senior roles such as Senior Manager, Assistant General Manager, and Deputy General Manager of the Head Office's Information Technology Department, General Manager of the Head Office's Information Technology Management Office, and General Manager of the Head Office's Information Technology Department. His employment history indicates extensive, long-term experience within CMB's technology division.
Zhou Tianhong was appointed as CMB's Chief Information Officer on December 5, 2024, and concurrently assumed the role of head of the Digital Finance Development Office in early 2025, a position he held until recently stepping down.
Wei Jiangbo, previously the Deputy Director of the Digital Finance Development Office, has been promoted to Director. He formerly held the positions of Deputy General Manager of the Strategic Planning and Execution Department and Deputy General Manager of the Financial Technology Office.
In March 2024, CMB restructured its head office's technology organization, renaming the former "Financial Technology Office" to the "Digital Finance Development Office." The functions were also adjusted; the renamed office now emphasizes technology empowering finance, serves as a macro-management department for CMB, is responsible for formulating the bank's financial technology strategic plans, and also manages CMB's FinTech Innovation Fund.
Also, in its 2024 annual report, CMB for the first time introduced the concept of "Digital-Intelligent CMB" in its financial statements. The bank proposed comprehensively building a "Digital-Intelligent CMB" to drive the transition from an "Online CMB" to a "Digital-Intelligent CMB," actively embracing the new generation AI revolution represented by large models. In the previous 2023 annual report, it had first introduced the concept of "Smart CMB."
CMB's Financial Technology Office was originally established in 2019. At that time, the bank underwent a major restructuring of its information technology architecture, initially establishing the Financial Technology Office as the department responsible for the overall management and promotion of financial technology across the bank.
Subsequently, in its 2025 interim report, CMB stated that it would accelerate its digital-intelligent transformation in the second half of the year, guided by an "AI First" principle to build the Digital-Intelligent CMB. It plans to prioritize AI capability development, take the lead in creating an AI-oriented organization, and strive to become a globally leading intelligent bank. The bank also aims to enhance the AI mindset and capabilities of all employees, strengthen collaboration between business and technology units, and explore models of "AI + Finance" and "Human + Digital Intelligence."
During the recent signing of a strategic cooperation agreement with Volcano Engine, CMB expressed its commitment to continuously deepening its strategy of invigorating the bank through technology, upholding the "AI First" concept, and accelerating the shift from an "Online CMB" to a "Digital-Intelligent CMB."
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