Shinhan Financial Group, one of the four banking giants in the country, has named a former IBM managing director as its digital chief officer to accelerate a push to expand its digital services.

Kim Myoung-hee, who spent the last 23 years developing digital operations at IBM before joining SK telecom to oversee digital efforts at the country’s largest mobile carrier, is considered one of the leading women experts on digital transformation.

Kim was the first senior women chief to lead the National Information Resource Service in 2017, when the Ministry of the Interior and Safety appointed her to head what it calls the world’s first pangovernmental data center.

“Digital transformation isn’t something we’ve started recently. This has been a mission we’ve backed for so long as we look for companies to invest that share our objective,” a Shinhan Financial Group official said.

The official referred to the latest food delivery app it launched this week, a first by a banking firm to do so, amid a race to introduce new digital strategies.

“Going digital is a win-win for the company and customers, who will most likely find barriers reduced when they seek financial services, which often make them feel ostracized because they have to navigate so many steps to see their money grow,” the official said.