From scale growth to value growth: What ACB is investing in for the C1425 cycle

In the banking industry, not every investment immediately shows up in short-term results. Some initiatives deliver near-term effects on financial indicators, while others are designed to build foundational capabilities for a longer growth cycle. As the market enters a new phase, ACB says its approach to growth is shifting from a scale-first model toward efficiency, customer understanding, seamless experiences, and technology-enabled scaling.

ACB outlines C1425 strategy for the next development phase

At its early-2026 business strategy conference, ACB announced the C1425 strategy as guidance for the next stage of development. The bank says the strategy is being translated into concrete implementation steps, with a positioning centered on efficiency as the foundation for sustainable growth, customer understanding as the basis for designing solutions, and a seamless experience to convert value into loyalty. It also places technology, data, and artificial intelligence at the core of scaling these capabilities.

First six months: eight strategic initiatives activated

During the first six months, ACB activated eight strategic initiatives and continued preparing subsequent steps for 2026. The initiatives span multiple capability layers, including technology platforms and data, risk governance, business models, and organizational structure.

ACB said the common objective across these moves is to increase value for customers while upgrading the organization’s core capabilities.

Building a financial solutions ecosystem for individuals and SMEs

One of the clearest moves under C1425 is the development of a more comprehensive financial solutions ecosystem for individuals and SMEs. Beyond traditional products, ACB and its subsidiaries—ACBS and ACBC—are building an ecosystem of investment and savings solutions, including term certificates, fund certificates, and corporate bonds.

In April, ACBS began distributing corporate bonds and also distributed ACB’s term certificates to SME customers. ACB said these steps broaden the product lineup and provide customers with additional tools to manage assets and cash flows more actively and efficiently.

By the end of Q1 2026, ACB had issued nearly VND 10 trillion in term certificates to individual customers.

Growth push in large corporate and FDI segments

ACB also highlighted a new growth axis emerging from the large corporate segment. Over the past two years, the bank reported expansion in both scale and revenue in this segment, alongside deeper relationships with leading corporations, private-sector enterprises, and top FDI firms.

By the end of 2025, ACB said lending to large enterprises grew 62%, while FDI lending surged 170%. The bank framed this as more than scale expansion, describing it as a shift toward participating more deeply in major value chains of the economy to support more stable, higher-quality growth over the medium to long term.

Digital channels: personalized experiences and customer-stage solutions

For digital channel transactions, ACB said it is intensifying personalized experiences. The bank described efforts to better understand customer behavior and needs and to refine interaction approaches so that customers receive solutions suited to their respective stages of financial life.

Refining the financial group structure

ACB said its financial group structure is being refined through steps including the establishment of a non-life insurance company, along with capital increases and technology investments for subsidiaries such as ACBS, ACBC, and ACBA. ACB said these actions point to building a platform broad and deep enough to offer more comprehensive financial solutions to customers.

Technology and data investments tied to business objectives

To support the transition, ACB said it is investing heavily in technology systems and platforms. The focus includes upgrading core banking, developing a digital trading platform, building cloud infrastructure (including public and private clouds), and forming data platforms to support AI applications such as data platforms and MLOps.

ACB emphasized that these investments are not pursued as standalone technology projects. They are linked to business problems, including increasing product usage, improving experiences at each customer touchpoint, and strengthening risk-management capabilities. The bank acknowledged that the investments may pressure costs in the short term, but said the goal is to build a foundation for a long-term growth cycle.

People and execution: transformation program and leadership development

In the last six months, ACB said it recruited around 200 people for its transformation program. The bank also reported attracting senior experts from domestic and international markets, implementing leadership training programs, and building cross-functional coordination mechanisms.

ACB said the aim is not only to bring in talent, but to create an organization where people can collaborate effectively and generate value at scale—positioning people as a decisive factor in turning strategy into reality.

Strategic focus: growth from core capabilities

ACB said the strategy goes beyond technology investment or business expansion. It described C1425 as a strategic choice to build growth from core capabilities, including execution discipline, risk governance, and the ability to translate technology into real value for customers.

The bank said the ultimate goal is not about scale or ranking, but about efficiency and the value delivered to customers and shareholders. In a market that increasingly values depth over speed, ACB said this may be the clearest measure of a leading bank.