The future of banking: digital meets human

What if a bank didn’t just focus on digital transformation—but on human transformation?

In the latest episode of The Experience Edge, Lasse Kragh Carstensen, Head of Digital Business & Channels at Sparekassen Danmark, shares how one of Denmark’s largest savings banks is breaking the mold of traditional banking.

Unlike the big institutional banks driven by shareholder interests, Sparekassen is a self-owned financial institution—meaning its priorities lie with its customers, not external investors. And that makes all the difference.

When your business is built for your customers, rather than just selling to them, it shifts the way you think about growth, innovation, and service. Instead of being driven by quarterly earnings and shareholder demands, Sparekassen has the freedom to invest in long-term customer relationships—even if it means making choices that don’t deliver an immediate financial return.

But here’s the real insight: This isn’t just a banking advantage. It’s a customer advantage that any company can embrace.

How can all organizations think this way?

Even if your company does answer to shareholders, prioritizing customer experience isn’t just an ethical choice—it’s a competitive strategy. Here’s what other businesses can learn from Sparekassen’s approach:

Customer-centric decision making: If your growth strategy starts with customer needs rather than internal goals, you’ll create products and services that people actually want—and reduce wasted efforts on things they don’t.

Balancing automation & human interaction: Technology should enhance experiences, not replace the human touch where it matters most. Organizations must carefully consider which interactions should be automated and where personalization still plays a critical role.

Long-term thinking over short-term gains: Sparekassen’s five-year strategy allows them to stay ahead of shifting customer expectations, instead of just chasing the next trend. Companies that take a longer-term approach to CX will build deeper loyalty and brand resilience.

Turning customer feedback into action: Many organizations collect data, but few truly integrate it into their strategy. Sparekassen operationalizes feedback at every level, from boardroom decisions to branch-level service improvements—something all companies can replicate by making CX a measurable, organization-wide effort.

Bridging the gap between business and customers

At its core, Sparekassen’s approach is about trust, transparency, and truly understanding customer needs—not just gathering insights, but acting on them in ways that shape better experiences, stronger relationships, and long-term growth.

Whether you work in banking, SaaS, retail, or any other industry, this conversation is packed with actionable insights on how to prioritize customer experience without sacrificing business performance.

So, how do you balance customer-centricity and operational efficiency? How do you make the right investments in AI and automation without losing the human touch? And what happens when customer feedback challenges your existing strategy?

Listen to the full episode now to hear how Sparekassen is tackling these challenges—and how you can, too.
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