28 May 2025
On May 22, 2025, the Department of Finance of International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University invited Ms Chenghua Dai, Deputy President of China Merchants Bank (CMB) Suzhou Branch, to deliver an insightful lecture titled "The Future is Coming—AI Development Trends and Its Vertical Applications in the Financial Sector." As a pioneer in financial digital transformation, Ms Dai drew upon her 30 years of industry experience to share practical applications of AI in finance and her perspectives on future career development in an engaging and accessible manner.
Ms Dai began by tracing the evolution of artificial intelligence, from Turing’s foundational work to modern large language models. She emphasized that the core of the AI era lies in a shift in mindset: "In the future, there will only be two types of people—those with an AI mindset and those without." Using CMB as a case study, she elaborated on AI’s vertical applications in customer service, risk management, and operational optimization. Examples included AI assistants addressing new employee training challenges and leveraging large models to enhance consumer protection review efficiency. Ms Dai stressed that AI is not merely a tool but a key driver of productivity transformation, with financial digitalization requiring standardization and online integration as its foundation.
In the career development segment, Ms Dai combined her personal journey with Warren Buffett’s investment philosophy to offer three key recommendations for students:
- Cultivate an AI Mindset: Always ask, "Can AI solve this problem?" and integrate technology into work logic.
- Build a Personal Brand: Stand out through differentiation—for instance, her son successfully turned around a top university interview with an innovative PPT presentation.
- Believe in the Power of Compounding: Accumulate professional expertise and industry insights over time, and choose fields aligned with personal values for long-term growth.
She particularly reminded students: "The essence of an interview is value delivery—understand the interviewer’s needs and translate your strengths into solutions."
Students actively engaged with questions on AI ethics, time management, and interdisciplinary learning. Drawing inspiration from Buffett’s investment advice, Ms Dai encouraged students to broaden their knowledge and align their passions with their careers. Addressing the challenge of balancing technology implementation with business needs, she noted: "Technology must serve real-world scenarios, and the younger generation’s advantage lies in leveraging curiosity to drive tool innovation."
In closing, Professor Stephen Gong, Head of the Department of Finance at IBSS, remarked: "Ms Dai’s sharing not only showcased cutting-edge fintech practices but also underscored the importance of lifelong learning and foundational thinking." The event provided IBSS faculty and students with a valuable opportunity to engage with an industry leader while fostering university-enterprise collaboration. During her visit, Ms Dai also toured the IBSS Trading Floor, accompanied by Professor Hefei Wang, Associate Dean of IBSS (Academic Engagement), Professor Stephen Gong, Dr Jiatao Liu, and Dr Yingying Wu.
About Ms Dai Chenghua
Ms. Dai Chenghua, Deputy President of China Merchants Bank Suzhou Branch, is a Shanghai Financial Leadership Talent. She spearheaded the development of the industry’s first intelligent CRM system, "My Cloud," and led the establishment of CMB’s Digital Finance Innovation Lab. A long-time advocate for fintech research and talent development, she has pursued advanced studies at Columbia University and Stanford University and serves as a lecturer for multiple EMBA programmes.
28 May 2025