With the continuous advancement of bank technology strategies, the Chief Information Officer (CIO), as the head of technology, is playing an increasingly critical role in the digital and intelligent transformation of banks in 2025.
According to incomplete statistics, the top technology leadership position changed at 22 banks in 2025.
On one hand, veteran executives from three major state-owned banks—Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China—retired upon reaching retirement age and passed the baton, while small and medium-sized banks also accelerated their pace in "acquiring talent," recruiting seasoned fintech professionals from external sources. On the other hand, at several banks, the roles of Vice President and Chief Information Officer are held by the same individual, granting technology leaders greater authority and responsibility, thereby enabling deeper involvement in strategic decision-making. An increasing number of CIOs are now "appearing" at listed banks' earnings press conferences, stepping from behind the scenes into the spotlight.
"The establishment of a Chief Information Officer position in commercial banks is a crucial measure as digital transformation shifts from an 'optional question' to a 'mandatory task'," stated Dong Ximiao, Chief Researcher at Zhaolian and Deputy Director of the Shanghai Finance and Development Laboratory. He indicated that specifically creating a CIO role helps banks enhance their future development capabilities and service capacities.
A total of 22 banks witnessed changes in their top technology leadership throughout the year.
Compared with 2024, the number of changes in banks' top technology leaders in 2025 remained largely consistent.
Based on incomplete statistics from listed company announcements, announcements from the National Financial Regulatory Administration, and public information, the top leader in the technology division changed at 22 banks in 2025.
The changes were concentrated in two main areas. One area involved the retirement and succession of veteran technology leaders from three major state-owned banks: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of China, and China Construction Bank, with their successors yet to be publicly announced. In April 2025, China Construction Bank announced that Jin Panshi resigned from the Chief Information Officer position due to age; in June of the same year, Bank of China announced that Meng Qian resigned as Chief Information Officer for age reasons; by the end of December, Lü Zhongtao, who also left due to age, began speaking publicly identified as the "former Chief Technology Officer of ICBC."
These three technology leaders from the large state-owned banks were all senior executives who had progressively advanced through the ranks of their respective banks' information technology divisions.
Since joining CCB in 2004, Jin Panshi had held positions including General Manager of the Information Technology Management Department, General Manager of the Audit Department, Information Director, and CIO. Meng Qian had served as General Manager of Bank of China's Information Center, Testing Center, Data Center, Software Center, Information Technology Department, and finally Chief Information Officer. Similarly, Lü Zhongtao held roles such as Deputy General Manager of ICBC's Information Technology Department, General Manager of the Software Development Center, General Manager of the Information Technology Department, Information Technology Business Director, and Chief Technology Officer.
The other area involved an acceleration in technology talent deployment at small and medium-sized banks.
Among the 22 banks with CIO changes, there were 9 city commercial banks, 4 provincial credit unions, and 3 rural commercial banks. Notably, on September 18, the appointment of Liu Shouzu as Chief Information Officer of Qinghai Datong Rural Commercial Bank was approved, representing a rare establishment of such a senior executive position at a county-level rural commercial bank and further highlighting the importance these small and medium-sized rural financial institutions place on their technology strategic layout.
Examining the appointment paths for CIOs at small and medium-sized banks reveals a mix of promoting internal business骨干 (backbones) and recruiting external talent with deep expertise in the fintech field.
For instance, prior to the approval of Na Qunwei's appointment as CIO of Longjiang Bank, the bank had publicly advertised for the position. The requirements at that time included over 15 years of relevant information technology work experience, having served as the head of the technology department at a provincial branch of a large state-owned commercial bank, holding a bachelor's degree or higher, and possessing extensive experience in commercial bank information technology management, major project construction, system operation maintenance management, and information technology risk management, along with experience leading or playing a major role in large-scale bank technology project development or implementation.
Another example is Wang Fenghui, CIO of Xiamen International Bank, who previously held positions such as Deputy General Manager of the Network Finance and Channel Management Department at Bank of China's Chongqing Branch, General Manager of the Head Office Network Finance Department at Bank of Dalian, and Deputy General Manager of Tencent Financial Cloud, making him a composite expert in the fintech field.
Multiple Banks Combine Vice President and CIO Roles into a Single Position
Concurrent with these personnel changes, another signal from the top technology leaders at leading commercial banks is the elevated strategic importance of technology.
In terms of hierarchical positioning, several banks have Vice Presidents concurrently serving as CIOs, allowing these executives, as part of senior management, to participate deeply in the bank's overall strategic planning. Meanwhile, an increasing number of CIOs are stepping into the foreground, detailing technology strategies at events like earnings press conferences.
According to incomplete statistics, during the 2024 annual and 2025 interim results press conferences, Chief Information Officers from multiple listed banks, including China Construction Bank, Bank of Communications, Postal Savings Bank of China, China Merchants Bank, Industrial Bank, China Minsheng Bank, Bank of Qingdao, Bank of Xiamen, and Bank of Nanjing, made appearances and spoke, introducing to investors and the public their banks' achievements and future plans in technology strategy and digital finance.
Judging from the executive appointment trends at several leading commercial banks, the number of Vice Presidents with a fintech background is increasing.
Among the six state-owned banks, Qian Bin of Bank of Communications and Niu Xinzhuang of Postal Savings Bank of China both serve as Vice President and Chief Information Officer; Cai Zhao, Vice President of Bank of China, previously served as Chief Information Officer at Agricultural Bank of China; Lei Ming, whose appointment as Vice President of China Construction Bank was approved in August 2025, has deep experience in the fintech sector, having served successively as President, Executive Director, and Chairman of CCB Fintech from 2018 to 2025.
Similar cases exist among joint-stock banks, city commercial banks, and rural commercial banks. For instance, at banks such as Bank of Hangzhou, Bank of Shanghai, Bohai Bank, Bank of Xiamen, Mybank, Bank of Kunlun, Xinjiang Rural Credit Union, Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank, and Dongguan Rural Commercial Bank, the roles of Vice President and Chief Information Officer are held by the same individual. Notably, at Bohai Bank, Bank of Shanghai, and Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank, the individuals appointed as CIO had already been serving as Vice Presidents prior to their CIO appointments being approved.
In fact, as early as January 2022, the former China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission issued the "Guiding Opinions on the Digital Transformation of the Banking and Insurance Industries," which encouraged the selection and appointment of professionals with technology backgrounds to join boards of directors or senior management teams. Following this, the establishment of CIO positions accelerated across various banks.
Dong Ximiao pointed out that commercial banks should not only establish the position of Chief Information Officer but also ensure that the CIO has responsibility, authority, and the ability to achieve results. He stated that the CIO must be a member of the bank's senior management team, can be concurrently held by a Vice President, may join the Party Committee and the Board of Directors, and participate deeply in strategic decision-making, rather than being merely the head of the technology division. For example, Bank of Tibet not only appointed a Chief Information Officer but also promoted the CIO to the Board of Directors as an Executive Director.
It has been noted that besides the "Chief Information Officer" position, many financial institutions have also established roles such as "Chief Scientist" and "Chief Data Officer." Just this past January, BOC International announced that its former Chief Scientist, Ge Hao, submitted his resignation for personal reasons and would no longer hold any position at the company. Ge Hao was the securities industry's first Chief Scientist, with a 2024 compensation nearing 2.02 million yuan. Prior to his resignation, Ge Hao, who came from a background at Baidu, was primarily responsible for technological innovation and transformation, while Xu Zheng, Chairman of BOC International's Information Management Committee, performed the duties of CIO, responsible for the strategic planning of the information technology architecture.
"Different financial institutions have varying approaches regarding the positioning of technology, plans for digital transformation, internal organizational structure, and personnel arrangements," Dong Ximiao commented. He noted that in practice, some banks, due to excessive emphasis or the need to attract talent, have established positions such as Chief Scientist and Chief Data Officer in addition to the Chief Information Officer, leading to blurred responsibility boundaries and increased communication costs. He emphasized that the CIO should be assigned a key role in digital transformation efforts, with their job responsibilities further clarified, and that multiple, overlapping positions with similar functions should not be established.
"The establishment of a dedicated Chief Information Officer in commercial banks helps leverage their role as a bridge connecting technology and business, involving them in strategic decision-making and planning execution, thereby transforming the blueprint for digital transformation into tangible innovation capabilities and competitive advantages, which in turn enhances the capacity to serve the real economy," Dong Ximiao stated.