Citizens Financial Group has made significant progress in advancing its digital and technology strategy to enhance customer experiences, streamline operations, and drive growth.
The company operates a vast multi-channel distribution network, including 1,000 branches, 143 in-store locations, and 3,100 ATMs, supported by approximately 5,000 branch colleagues.
Under the leadership of Michael Ruttledge, Chief Information Officer and Head of Enterprise Technology and Security, Citizens has focused on accelerating digital capabilities, leveraging AI and automation, and expanding self-service options.
The size of digital payments at Citizens Financial Group has reached $173 million, registering annual growth of 17 percent, in 2024. Citizens Financial Group has 1.5 million mobile retail checking households. Almost 2.3 million households are active on mobile apps checking bank details at Citizens Financial Group.
Recent initiatives include launching a modern account opening experience, making it easier for customers to open accounts and switch direct deposits seamlessly. The introduction of CiZi, an AI-powered virtual chat assistant, has enhanced personalized banking support. These efforts have led to notable improvements, such as the Citizens mobile app ranking #2 among retail banks by JD Power, a significant leap from its previous #10 position in 2023.
Additionally, the company has continued to expand self-service capabilities, incorporating secure and personalized digital onboarding and servicing solutions. Automation technologies, including AI and robotics, have been implemented to reduce manual work and enhance client service, contributing to a nine-point increase in Corporate Banking Net Promoter Score since 2016, well above industry norms.
Infosys has played a crucial role in supporting and expanding Citizens’ digital transformation efforts. As a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, Infosys has been a strategic collaborator in modernizing Citizens’ technology landscape.
Through this partnership, Citizens is leveraging Infosys’ expertise in AI, cloud, and automation to develop cloud-native domain platforms and exit data centers. This AI-driven transformation fosters FinTech and hyperscaler collaborations, enhancing operational resilience and enabling hyper-personalized customer experiences.
Over the past five years, Citizens and Infosys have achieved significant milestones, including the development of domain-centric platform strategies, the establishment of a robust data lake, the deployment of enterprise APIs, and the attainment of 90 percent test automation.
They have successfully migrated critical workloads to the cloud while ensuring operational stability and have streamlined applications and tools. According to Michael Ruttledge, Infosys has been instrumental in aligning Citizens’ modernization efforts with its long-term technology vision, focusing on resilience and growth.
Dennis Gada, EVP and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services at Infosys, highlighted the strengthened collaboration with Citizens, emphasizing the use of Infosys Topaz, an AI-driven platform, to further Citizens’ transformation and business expansion. As banking transitions to an AI-first paradigm, this partnership aims to redefine the industry’s possibilities by combining banking expertise with technology solutions.
Rajani Baburajan
