How our people are driving innovation
Innovation is not something that happens on its own. It takes people: those curious, driven, and willing to challenge the familiar. This year, we saw that spirit come to life across our bank through Fridays for Innovation, a 10-week internal program, that placed the creativity of our colleagues at the centre of our digital transformation journey.
Created to introduce new approaches to our work and how we support customers, the initiative encouraged teams from different departments to collaborate, try things out, and make everyday processes better.
Each week, participants took part in hands-on workshops, coaching sessions, and idea-shaping activities, gradually turning early concepts into mature
proposals. What started as rough ideas gradually developed into digital
solutions ready for use in our daily work.
Another aspect that highlights how much the bank relies on our own colleagues is the mentoring provided by experienced team members throughout the program. Their guidance helped shape ideas into practical solutions and showed the value of combining fresh perspectives with deep experience.
The program culminated on 5 November during our Innovation Day event, a gathering that brought together innovation enthusiasts from across the bank. The day included discussions on technology’s growing role in shaping modern banking and featured a contribution from Nicole Stroj, Head of Innovation Management at Raiffeisen Bank International.
A highlight of the event was the announcement of the winning teams of Fridays for Innovation. Their ideas, soon to be transformed into real digital solutions, reflect the talent and forward-thinking mindset that exists across our organization.
Our CEO, Anita Kovacic, said during the event that “innovation is at the heart of our strategy, and over the past few years we have launched new digital products and organized various initiatives that bring this vision to life”.
“And we are proud to have built an environment that empowers our colleagues to shape the future of our bank”, she noted.
Our commitment to innovation does not end with one programme or one event. It is part of how we work, plan, and move forward. Another important milestone in this journey is our Portfolio Day & IT Governance Committee (ITGC) meeting, a regular internal forum where teams from across the bank come together to review progress, share insights, and ensure alignment on our digital priorities.
In the most recent Portfolio Day, colleagues presented solutions that are already making an impact, both internally and for our customers.
These ranged from new tools that improve efficiency inside the bank to customer-facing innovations such as Apple Pay for Raiffeisen cards, the advancements of our AI-powered virtual assistant RAIA, and new mobile app features like Save the Goal.
Our Chief Operations Officer/Chief Information Officer, David Heitzinger, attended the event and thanked the teams for their efforts, highlighting the impact of their work on the bank’s digital transformation.
From Fridays for Innovation to Portfolio Day and other initiatives, it’s evident that our people drive much of our progress. By investing in their ideas, supporting their growth, and giving them space to innovate, we continue building a smarter, more dynamic bank, together.
[This article was published in December 2025 as part of the fifth edition of the bank’s newsletter, RaiMagazine]