William Streitberg [center left] with the graduating cohort of the HLB Group Technology Graduate Trainee Program.

KUALA LUMPUR, 3 NOVEMBER 2026 – For more than a decade, Hong Leong Bank (“HLB” or the “Bank”) has operated with a "Digital At The Core" ethos. Built on a foundation of investing in human capital, building in-house engineering capabilities, and strategic collaborations, the Bank has fostered a self-reliant tech culture that prioritizes platform ownership, establishing the stability and agility required to architect mission-critical banking platforms from within.

 

At the heart of HLB’s digital strategy is the conviction that sustainable innovation starts with its people. The Bank continuously expands its technology capabilities through structured upskilling initiatives and talent pipelines, anchored by its Group Technology Graduate Trainee Program. To sustain its internal innovation engine, the 12-month program features four strategic rotations designed to equip emerging talent with deep technical expertise and operational agility. 

 

During their rotations, the graduating cohort, which includes talent recruited through the GamudaAI pipeline, executed complex, enterprise-level projects across multiple functional teams. Trainees deployed Google ADK-powered AI chatbots and UiPath robotic process automation (“RPA”) tools, streamlined internal compliance via automated IT Risk Dispensation e-Forms, modernized IT Service Management and Problem Management operations, and optimized cloud infrastructure efficiency. 

 

All 10 graduating trainees have transitioned into permanent roles across key teams, including IT Governance & Assurance, Application Support, IT Services & Operations, Security Management, Innovation CoE, and the CEO Transformation Office. 10 new trainees have been inducted into the program, coming from diverse academic backgrounds such as Data Science, Computing, Cybersecurity, Information Security, Mathematics, and Engineering. 

 

Beyond specialized technology divisions, HLB drives grassroots innovation across the entire organization through its internal AI Ignite Programme. The initiative invites staff from all departments to submit practical AI use cases, appointing selected "AI Champions" and equipping them with resources to bring technological advancements to life.

 

William Streitberg, HLB’s Chief Information & Technology Officer, emphasized that this internal engineering focus is key to staying responsive in a rapidly evolving market.

 

"AI will not replace people, but it will replace people who refuse to use it. Building our technology in-house gives us the freedom and control to build fast, fail fast, and learn fast, turning every challenge into immediate institutional knowledge. Enhancing a bank's technology environment does not happen overnight, which is why empowering our teams to adapt and continuously upskill is central to maintaining our digital edge."

 

HLB’s foresight to build from within, supported by ecosystem partners that align with its open innovation ethos, laid the necessary groundwork for industry-leading engineering outcomes. This internal capability was recently validated at the Red Hat APAC Innovation Awards 2026 for Malaysia, where HLB was named the winner in the Virtualization and Cloud-Native Development category.

 

To overcome legacy performance bottlenecks and improve scalability for a critical online business application, HLB’s technology teams transitioned the application from a monolithic framework to a containerized environment using Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat Application Foundations. The Bank also deployed Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization to unify virtual machines and containers onto a single platform.

 

This internal architectural overhaul yielded tangible operational gains, cutting software deployment cycles from months to weeks, eliminating manual virtual machine patching for containerized workloads, and enabling applications to scale dynamically during peak traffic spikes.

 

By combining an in-house engineering mindset, continuous talent development, and strategic partner enablement, HLB continues to prove that long-term digital leadership stems directly from an innovation mindset, paired with the adaptability of its people.