When CIO Omid Saberi joined BSP sixteen years ago, he arrived at a pivotal moment in the bank’s history. BSP had recently acquired Colonial Bank and, unlike its previous owner, was determined to pursue an ambitious growth strategy. That ambition required far more than expanding products or opening branches. It demanded a complete transformation of the bank’s technology foundations.
Leadership Begins with Vision
For Omid, technology transformation is inseparable from leadership. Successful programmes begin with a clearly articulated vision shared by everyone involved – from executives and project teams to external technology partners.
“To be a good leader, you have to have a good team. You can’t do it alone.”
That philosophy extends well beyond hiring talented individuals. He believes transformation succeeds only when leadership establishes a common understanding of why change is necessary.
“I can sit down with my team and explain a vision. Why are we doing this and what will we achieve at the end of it? Once we all understand where and why we are doing it… it becomes very easy to accomplish the vision.”
Technology vendors play an equally important role “You need to find partners who have the same ethos and outlook.” Creating alignment between business leaders, technology teams and strategic partners has been central to BSP’s ability to deliver successive transformation programmes over more than a decade.
Digital Technology Serving Communities
While many technology leaders speak about innovation, Omid consistently returns to a broader purpose. His personal motivation is rooted in service.
Having left Australia to relocate with his family to Fiji, he describes a desire to contribute to the local community rather than simply pursue career opportunities.
“So service is part of my thinking… how am I serving a community that I’m in?”
That philosophy closely aligns with BSP’s wider role in Fiji’s economy. The bank finances commercial buildings, businesses, tourism developments and broader economic growth across the country.
Omid notes that the technology platforms his team builds ultimately support those wider ambitions. “The systems that we develop assist the end product to reach the community.”
Technology therefore becomes an enabler of economic development rather than simply operational efficiency.
Driving Digital Trust in a Cash Economy
While BSP has become one of Fiji’s largest banks, Omid recognises that digital transformation involves more than deploying technology. It also requires changing customer behaviour.
Cash remains deeply embedded within Fiji’s economy, accounting for around 60–65% of transactions. Convincing customers to embrace digital payments therefore depends on trust as much as functionality. “So, we want to build on that trust,” Omid pledges.
BSP’s response has been to develop a simple digital wallet ecosystem designed around ease of use and minimal transaction costs.
“Built around QR-code payments and branded eDollar, the platform allows customers to transfer funds, receive payments and pay merchants using little more than a smartphone. Our objective is to provide customers with a simple, secure and trusted way to make digital payments. So, they will feel just as comfortable as they would with cash.”
Pricing has deliberately been kept extremely low. Customers pay nothing to transfer funds between wallets, while merchant charges are capped regardless of transaction size.
About BSP
Bank of South Pacific (BSP) is Fiji’s largest locally incorporated commercial bank and forms part of BSP Financial Group, the South Pacific’s largest financial services provider. Operating under the purpose of “Championing Prosperity for the South Pacific,” BSP serves individuals, businesses and institutional customers through a broad network of branches, digital channels and self-service banking facilities. As part of a regional banking group, BSP supports more than 3.6 million customers across seven Pacific nations, with more than 80 branches and a long-standing commitment to financial inclusion and community development.