A first for Sagicor
Customers offered both in-person and online banking experiences at new ‘phygital’ branch in Spanish Town
SAGICOR BANK Jamaica opened its first ‘Phygital’ branch at New Brunswick Village in Spanish Town, St Catherine, on Tuesday.
The Sagicor initiative to open the new branch, located in the company’s $6-billion, mixed-use New Brunswick Village on Brunswick Avenue in Spanish Town, reflects the merging of physical and digital banking services, offering customers both in-person and online banking experiences.
The approach aims to provide greater convenience and accessibility to clients, leveraging technology while maintaining personalised customer interactions at physical location with features such as the state-of-theart I nteractive Automated banking machines and self-assisted kiosks.
Christopher Zacca, president and CEO of Sagicor Group Jamaica, at the bank’s opening ceremony, said the investment aligns with Sagicor’s vision to uplift and advance the communities it serves.
‘We have tasked ourselves with creating, developing, and investing in major opportunities that will allow for the significant growth of our wider economy, communities and, most importantly, the people of Jamaica,” Zacca declared.
He continued: “I l ead a team of phenomenal men and women who are focused every day on creating, innovating and providing the best financial services and products that will propel the Sagicor Group to not only becoming one of the largest financial groups in the Caribbean, but one that also invest heavily in Jamaica.”
Zacca said the new ABMs at the location are aimed at revolutionising the banking landscape, making transactions easier and faster in an increasingly digital world.
Senator Dana Morris Dixon, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for digital transformation, who delivered the keynote address, said the opening of the branch indicates that Sagicor understands the mission of inclusive digital transformation.
“This mirrors the Government’s commitment to have every single Jamaican in the digital evolution of our country,” she said.
Continuing, Morris Dixon said: “We have to guarantee that individuals from all walks of life, regardless of age, background or upbringing, can benefit from this digital initiative.”
According to her, the Government is steadfast in its mission to have all players operate within the framework of digital inclusion.
DIGITAL ONBOARDING
Bank CEO Corvelle Johnson Cunningham shared that, as a first for the bank, the new branch will offer a digital onboarding experience through which new customers will use digital kiosks to start their account opening process.
“This implementation will save them time in-branch and reduce the manual, paperbased process used in opening accounts,” Johnson Cunningham stated.
She said there are plans to roll out similar enhancements across other branches, while declaring that the investment is a huge one.
“Sagicor is not closing branches, we are opening branches,” she emphasised.
Spanish Town Mayor Norman Scott, in his greetings, said the opening of the new banking facility in Spanish Town signals the level of confidence Sagicor Group has in St Catherine.
“This is a clear indication that you value the business and the development of the parish and its people. I do hope that with the services that will be provided, the citizens will get the first-class experience that we know Sagicor for,” Scott said.
He highlighted challenges faced by citizens, especially on weekends, in getting cash from ATM machines, and urged Sagicor to remedy the problem.