Clase magistral en banca minorista y para pymes en Kuala Lumpur

Descripción del programa

Small and medium enterprises and retail customers are the core franchise of most commercial banks, yet they remain the hardest segments to serve profitably. SMEs need fast decisions, flexible products and advice; households expect digital service at low cost. Banks that combine sound credit risk management with good segmentation and efficient channels grow these books safely; those that do not face rising losses or lose customers to new competitors.

The financing need is large. An IFC estimate published on the SME Finance Forum in February 2026 puts the finance gap for formal micro, small and medium enterprises in 119 emerging and developing economies at USD 5.7 trillion, about 19% of their combined GDP, with a further USD 2.1 trillion of potential demand from informal firms. IFC notes that MSMEs make up over 90% of firms worldwide and about 70% of employment.

Malaysia shows how a banking system can respond. According to Bank Negara Malaysia’s 2025 Annual Report, banks and development financial institutions approved RM186.7 billion in new SME financing in 2025 across more than 206,000 accounts, and outstanding SME financing grew 5.9%. The central bank’s SME funds have disbursed RM29.3 billion to 82,714 SMEs since 2020, and from 2026 the funds are moving from direct lending to a guarantee model.

Competition is also changing. Bank Negara Malaysia awarded five digital bank licences in April 2022, three conventional and two Islamic, under its Financial Sector Blueprint 2022–2026. By the end of 2025 all five were operating, serving 2.4 million customers, about 65% of them from unserved or underserved segments.

This Masterclass in SME & Retail Banking in Kuala Lumpur brings these strands together over five days: retail banking products and operations, SME segmentation and value propositions, SME credit risk and pricing, prudential and accounting requirements, and digital and open finance. Each day uses Malaysian and international cases and ends with a practical workshop.

El programa fortalece la capacidad institucional en

• Retail banking strategy, products and operating models
• Deposit, savings and transaction product design
• Retail lending products and responsible lending
• Account opening, customer due diligence and onboarding
• Non-fund-based services and fee income
• Funding and liquidity considerations for retail and SME books
• SME market segmentation and value propositions
• SME product and service development
• Relationship management and sales delivery for SMEs
• SME credit assessment using financial and alternative data
• Risk-based pricing of SME loans
• Credit guarantees and risk-sharing arrangements
• Expected credit loss provisioning for SME portfolios
• Capital treatment of SME and retail exposures
• Portfolio monitoring and early warning systems
• Branch, digital and partner distribution channels
• Mobile, QR and digital payment services
• Open data and open finance partnerships
• Islamic and value-based SME financing
• Sustainable and transition finance for SMEs
• Key performance targets and profitability analysis
• Customer experience and complaint handling

Participants leave with a structured view of how a bank, development financial institution or donor-funded credit line can grow SME and retail business while controlling risk.

The Growing Importance of SME & Retail Banking

MSMEs carry a large share of economic activity. In Malaysia, the Department of Statistics reports that MSMEs contributed 39.7% of GDP in 2025, worth RM689.8 billion, employed 48.7% of the workforce and generated 14.7% of exports. Their growth of 5.7% outpaced the wider economy. Yet many firms still rely on collateral-based lending and short-term working capital, which limits investment.

Policy is pushing banks to do more and to do it differently. Malaysia’s Financial Sector Blueprint 2022–2026 calls for the use of forward-looking and alternative data, common data-sharing standards for alternative credit scoring, a stronger role for development financial institutions, a centralised collateral registry and wider use of blended and alternative finance. The World Bank similarly supports digital public infrastructure, open finance and alternative products such as embedded finance and peer-to-peer lending to widen SME access.

At the same time, prudential and accounting rules require banks to hold capital and provisions that reflect risk. Expected credit loss accounting under IFRS 9 and the Basel III framework make poor SME underwriting visible quickly, so growth must be matched by better data, pricing and monitoring.

Las organizaciones necesitan cada vez más profesionales capaces de:

• Segmenting SME and retail customers by need, risk and value
• Designing products that fit cash-flow patterns of small firms
• Assessing SME credit with limited financial statements
• Using alternative and transaction data responsibly
• Pricing loans to cover risk, capital and operating cost
• Structuring guarantees and risk-sharing with public schemes
• Calculating and explaining expected credit losses
• Managing digital onboarding and customer due diligence
• Building partnerships with fintechs and platforms
• Monitoring portfolios and acting on early warning signals
• Measuring branch and channel profitability
• Managing Islamic and value-based financing products
• Reporting SME lending results to boards, regulators and financiers

Strong SME and retail banking systems help organisations:

• Grow lending while keeping non-performing loans under control
• Lower cost to serve through digital channels
• Raise fee and deposit income from SME customers
• Use guarantees and credit lines effectively
• Meet regulatory, capital and disclosure expectations
• Reach underserved customers and regions
• Retain customers facing new digital competitors
• Show measurable development impact to financing partners
• Support climate resilience and sustainable investment by small firms

The masterclass treats SME and retail banking as an integrated business: strategy, products, credit, channels and performance, each linked to regulation and data.

Who Should Attend This SME & Retail Banking Training?

Este programa está dirigido a:

• Bank, branch and general managers
• Heads and senior professionals in SME banking
• Heads and senior professionals in retail and consumer banking
• Digital banking and channel managers
• Credit risk managers and credit analysts
• Relationship managers for SME clients
• Product development managers
• Customer experience and transformation professionals
• Sales professionals and training managers
• Heads of marketing and marketing managers
• Strategic planning staff and financial analysts
• Staff of development financial institutions
• Officers of credit guarantee corporations and schemes
• Central bank and regulator staff working on SME finance and inclusion
• Managers of donor-funded SME credit lines and project implementation units
• Microfinance and Islamic finance managers
• Fintech partnership and open banking leads

Mixed teams from business, credit and digital functions gain the most, because the workshops ask them to agree on a common SME strategy.

SME & Retail Banking Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this SME & Retail Banking Training, participants will be able to:

• Explain the roles, structures and regulation of retail and SME banking
• Design deposit, lending and fee-based products for target segments
• Segment the SME market and build value propositions for each segment
• Assess SME credit using financial, cash-flow and alternative data
• Price SME loans using risk, capital and cost components
• Apply expected credit loss staging to SME portfolios
• Use credit guarantees and risk-sharing to extend lending
• Plan branch, digital and partner distribution channels
• Evaluate open finance and fintech partnership models
• Set key performance targets and analyse SME profitability
• Assess future trends in SME and retail banking
• Prepare an SME banking business plan for their institution

Every objective is applied in a workshop using realistic portfolio data, so skills transfer directly to participants’ banks.

Contenido y estructura del programa

SME & Retail Banking Training Methodology

The masterclass is practical and numbers-based. Concise expert input is followed by analysis of real policy documents, portfolio data and case material, and each day ends with a workshop that feeds into the final business plan.

El programa combina:

• Breves presentaciones de expertos con ejemplos resueltos
• Case studies from Malaysia’s SME financing and digital banking reforms
• Spreadsheet exercises on pricing and expected credit loss
• Credit assessment of sample SME files
• Segmentation and value proposition workshops
• Customer journey mapping for digital channels
• Analysis of central bank and regulatory publications
• Group discussion of participants’ own portfolios
• Peer review of draft business plans
• Role plays of SME relationship meetings
• Action planning for return to work
• Retroalimentación diaria para ajustar las sesiones siguientes

Participants are invited to bring anonymised portfolio data, product sheets or policies. Trainers adapt examples to commercial banks, development financial institutions, regulators and project teams in the group.

Resultados esperados

Upon completion of this SME & Retail Banking Training, participants will be able to:

• Present a clear SME and retail segmentation for their institution
• Propose products and services matched to each segment
• Apply a structured SME credit assessment
• Calculate risk-based prices and expected credit losses
• Use guarantees and credit lines to support growth
• Design a digital SME customer journey
• Evaluate fintech and open finance partnerships
• Track SME banking performance with clear targets
• Prepare a board-ready SME banking business plan

Participants return with models, templates and a draft plan their institution can review and implement.

Institutional Application of SME & Retail Banking Training

Este programa ayuda a las organizaciones a fortalecer:

• SME and retail banking strategy
• Product governance and product development
• Credit policy and credit risk management for SMEs
• Risk-based pricing frameworks
• Expected credit loss and provisioning processes
• Use of credit guarantee and risk-sharing schemes
• Management of donor and development finance credit lines
• Digital channels and onboarding
• Data governance and open finance readiness
• Relationship management and sales effectiveness
• Management information and performance reporting
• Sustainable finance for SME customers

Los participantes regresan con herramientas prácticas para mejorar:

• SME segmentation matrix
• SME value proposition canvas
• SME credit assessment checklist
• Loan pricing model
• Expected credit loss staging worksheet
• Credit guarantee evaluation template
• Digital customer journey map
• SME banking KPI dashboard
• SME banking business plan template

Institutions can also use Risalat’s free institutional capacity assessment and digital readiness assessment to identify priority areas before nominating staff.

Pertinencia y aplicación regionales

Asia

Malaysia’s data show the scale of the opportunity in Asia: MSMEs produce close to 40% of GDP and nearly half of employment, while digital financial usage reached 92% in 2024 according to Bank Negara Malaysia. Banks across South and Southeast Asia face similar choices on digital banks, alternative data and guarantees.

África

Many African banks serve SMEs mainly through short-term, collateral-backed loans. African economies are among the 119 covered by IFC’s USD 5.7 trillion estimate of the formal MSME finance gap, and credit lines and guarantee schemes from development partners are widely used tools there.

Oriente Medio

Banks in the Middle East are expanding SME and digital retail business under national diversification plans. Islamic SME finance, a strength of Malaysia’s system, is directly relevant to institutions offering Shariah-compliant products.

Europa y Asia Central

Banks in the region often manage SME credit lines from international financial institutions and apply IFRS 9 and Basel standards closely. The pricing, provisioning and reporting tools in this masterclass match those requirements.

Whatever the region, participants apply the same disciplines: segment carefully, price for risk, use data and digital channels well, and report results clearly.

Perfil del país anfitrión: Malasia

Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia’s financial centre and home to Bank Negara Malaysia, major domestic and international banks, development financial institutions and a large Islamic finance industry. Its modern conference facilities and good-value hotels make it a practical base for an intensive banking programme.

Malaysia is a strong benchmark for SME and retail banking. Its Financial Sector Blueprint 2022–2026 sets priorities on digitalisation, open data, financial inclusion, a greener economy and value-based Islamic finance. The country has licensed five digital banks, runs central bank SME funds and targeted guarantee schemes, and publishes detailed statistics on SME financing and MSME performance that participants can use as reference points.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport has direct connections across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Australia. Many nationalities can enter Malaysia visa-free for short stays, while others need a visa or eVISA arranged in advance; participants should confirm current requirements with the Immigration Department of Malaysia or the nearest Malaysian mission. Risalat provides invitation letters and visa guidance for registered participants.

SME & Retail Banking Training Deliverables

Every participant receives the following support before, during and after the masterclass.

Antes del programa

• Evaluación previa del participante
• SME & Retail Banking Readiness Assessment
• SME & Retail Banking Resource Pack
• Materiales de lectura preparatoria
• Apoyo y asesoramiento gratuitos para el visado
• Recogida en el aeropuerto y asistencia de bienvenida
• Alojamiento con desayuno
• Cena de bienvenida y networking

Durante el programa

• Kit de formación de Risalat (bolsa, botella, taza, camiseta, gorra, funda de pasaporte, bolígrafos, cuaderno, imán y llavero)
• Comprehensive SME & Retail Banking Training Manual
• SME Segmentation Matrix
• SME Credit Assessment Checklist
• Loan Pricing Model (spreadsheet)
• Expected Credit Loss Staging Worksheet
• Credit Guarantee Evaluation Template
• Digital Customer Journey Map Template
• Talleres prácticos y simulaciones
• Debates en grupo y aprendizaje entre pares
• Almuerzo y refrigerios diarios
• Acceso completo a las instalaciones de la sede de formación
• Mini Pad / tableta con materiales didácticos digitales
• Visita de campo (cuando proceda)
• Recorrido turístico por la ciudad

Después del programa

• Certificado de finalización
• Reconocimiento a la participación en programas de Risalat
• Materiales de consulta posteriores a la formación
• SME Banking Business Plan Template
• SME Banking KPI Dashboard Template
• Reading List on SME Finance Regulation
• Apoyo posterior a la formación y orientación de seguimiento
• Informe del programa

Banks, development financial institutions, regulators and project teams can request a tailored in-house version built around their own portfolios and policies. Request a proposal to discuss content and dates.

Common Challenges in SME & Retail Banking, And How This Training Helps

How can we lend to SMEs that have weak financial statements?

Day 3 shows how to combine cash-flow analysis, transaction data and alternative data with structured judgement, and how guarantees can reduce collateral requirements.

How do we price SME loans so they are profitable but still competitive?

The Day 3 workshop builds a risk-based pricing model covering expected loss, capital, funding and operating cost, then tests it with and without a guarantee.

How should SME portfolios be provisioned under expected credit loss rules?

Day 3 explains staging, significant increase in credit risk and forward-looking information for SME books, with a practical staging worksheet.

How do we compete with digital banks and fintechs?

Day 4 reviews the early results of Malaysia’s digital banks and helps teams design digital onboarding and lending journeys for SMEs.

How can we serve many small customers without high costs?

Days 1 and 4 cover segmentation, channel choice and cost-to-serve analysis so that each segment receives the right service model.

How do we make the most of credit lines and guarantee schemes?

Days 2 and 5 cover how development finance and guarantees work, what reporting they require and how to build them into the SME business plan.

How do we convince the board to invest in SME banking?

The Day 5 capstone produces a board-ready plan with targets, risk and capital analysis, and clear performance indicators.

Preguntas frecuentes

Who should attend this SME and retail banking masterclass?

Managers and specialists from commercial banks, development financial institutions, guarantee schemes, regulators and teams running donor-funded SME credit lines, including credit, product, digital and relationship staff.

Does the masterclass cover credit risk and provisioning?

Yes. Day 3 covers SME credit assessment, risk-based pricing, expected credit loss staging and the capital treatment of SME exposures, with a spreadsheet workshop.

Why is Kuala Lumpur used as the venue?

Malaysia combines an active SME financing system, central bank SME funds, five licensed digital banks and a strong Islamic finance sector, giving useful benchmarks.

Is Islamic SME finance included?

Yes. Islamic and value-based SME products are discussed on Day 2 and in the Malaysian case material.

Can the masterclass be delivered in-house?

Yes. Risalat can tailor it to an institution's portfolio, policies and markets and deliver it at a location of its choice.

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