Sumitra Karthikeyan is a core member of the Financial Institutions (FI) and Marketing & Sales practices at Boston Consulting Group. She is BCG’s global lead for securities services and the North America lead for revenue growth in FI.

Sumitra works with FI clients across commercial, capital markets, payments, retail, and wealth, as well as on revenue enhancement strategy. She leads large programs on pricing, share of wallet, retention, client segmentation, and coverage model. She also helps financial institutions build capability and drive impact through data analytics. Sumitra is a transaction banking expert with deep knowledge of products, industry trends, and client behavior in both treasury solutions and securities services. Her clients include top global and regional banks.

Before joining BCG, Sumitra worked as a senior consultant for Growth Ventures Group, a boutique retail consulting firm; as a Marketing Manager at Citigroup Credit Cards, Dubai; and as a Brand Manager for Perfetti Van Melle Group, India, managing a portfolio of confectionery brands.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

EDUCATION

  • MBA, Beta Gamma Sigma, Columbia Business School
  • PGDM Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore

Publications and Videos

Wholesale Banking Reinvention

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Unlocking the Hidden Value in Securities Services

Securities servicing businesses outperformed their capital market peers and delivered steady growth in the years following the 2008 financial crisis. COVID-19 has created headwinds for security services, but there are various strategies to maximize competitive advantage.

Breaking the Commodity Trap in Trade Finance

The use of deep data analytics and change management tool kit to drive pricing optimization in Trade Finance.

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Moving Away from One-Size-Fits-All in Daily Banking

Following the lead of successful B2C service providers in other sectors could generate improvement as high as 10% to 15% of current daily banking revenue.
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Breaking the Commodity Trap in Trade Finance

To bolster profitability, banks are designing and deploying smart pricing that reflects the value of trade finance to their clients.
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A perfect storm? New frontiers for custodians and asset managers

The custody business is being squeezed by new regulations, low interest rates and sluggish performance from asset manager clients.
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How Banks Can Close the Back Door on Attrition

Attrition accounts for 10% to 15% of gross revenue loss annually. Much of this loss is addressable. Corporate banks that pursue targeted client retention efforts can double their revenue growth without selling more.
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“Moneyball” in Commercial Lending: From Art to Science in Pricing

By ensuring that their relationship managers account for customers’ price sensitivity when setting target prices, commercial lenders can increase revenues by up to 10%.
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How to Reap a Pricing Windfall in Retail Banking

Superior pricing capabilities offer a potential revenue windfall for retail banks caught in the industry’s crossfire of slow growth, heightened competition, price-conscious customers, and regulatory change.
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Data, Analytics, Advice: Winning Share of Wallet in Wholesale Banking

Increasing share of wallet with existing clients—as opposed to focusing on developing new business—and taking a data-led, advisory approach can lift wholesale banks’ performance.
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Pricing: The White Knight for Wholesale Financial Services?

With revenues and ROE under siege, and cost efficiencies reaching the saturation point, pricing initiatives could be the white knight for wholesale financial institutions.
Deep Expertise, Broad Experience