Kenneth C.M. Lo
Founder of O-Bank ,
North Asia
The smile in the middle of the O in O-Bank’s logo says it all. Like any bank, O-Bank wants happy customers, but unlike any bank, its customers may look a little different than a traditional bank.
When Kenneth C.M. Lo, veteran financier and Founder of O-Bank, restructured the Industrial Bank of Taiwan in 2017 to be the first native digital bank in Taiwan, he set the core values of TOUCH (trust, outstanding, unity, creativity and honor) and dedicated his company to be inclusive of environmental, social and governance (ESG) values.
It makes sense that O-Bank’s aim is to embrace this spirit of sustainability and innovation, providing financial services that create win-win outcomes and mutual prosperity for consumers. Its Chinese name 王道 (Wangdao) is drawn from a spirit of inclusiveness, walking the right path and fulfilling oneself by benefiting others. The English letter “O” represents fulfillment and the unending cycle of life.
The bank prides itself on its forward-focused options. It was the first publicly listed certified B corporation and the first B corporation financial institution in Taiwan. But those were not the only “firsts” for the bank.
O-Bank also was the first bank in Taiwan to introduce the “Consumer Spending Carbon Calculator,” a feature on O-Bank’s app that allows users to see the carbon footprints of each purchase. The goal is to curb individuals’ carbon emissions through better awareness and transparency.
And O-Bank was the first bank in the country to launch a Social Impact Deposits program, which takes in deposits to be used solely for backing microloans for the economically disadvantaged.
Over the years, O-Bank has supported various non-governmental and nonprofit organizations, and social enterprises across a variety of social causes with various partnerships programs, including Preferential Loans Program and Green Consumption Power Program.
O-Bank employs more than 1000 people and has a market capitalization of approximately USD900 million. Lo is the Honorary Chairman of the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce, one of Taiwan’s most long-standing and influential business federations.