Danamon Partners with ELSA Business to Boost Employee English Skills Using AI

PT Bank Danamon Indonesia Tbk (“Danamon”) has officially entered into a strategic partnership with ELSA Business, a leading global Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based English training platform. This collaboration is realised through a large-scale English language upskilling programme targeting 1,000 Danamon employees across various regions in Indonesia. The move is taken to cultivate modern banking talent that is competitive on the global stage whilst addressing the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report recommendation, which places communication skills as a crucial core skill in the financial sector. The programme was officially launched in May 2026, led directly by Danamon’s Chief Human Capital and Operations Officer, Evi Damayanti, alongside the human resources management team. In the modern banking era, regional leaders and area managers are required not only to excel in domestic business achievements but also to communicate convincingly in cross-border forums, such as presentations before the Board of Directors and strategic interactions with international partners. Often, the industry’s biggest challenge is the gap between robust technical banking expertise and the confidence to deliver it in English. “Amidst the development of an increasingly globally connected banking industry, communication skills have become an important competency for company talent. Through this cooperation with ELSA Business, we believe that investment in professional communication development can have its impact measured concretely, from increased confidence to readiness to communicate in global business forums,” said Evi Damayanti in a written statement on Thursday (11/6). One major obstacle of conventional digital training (e-learning) for busy professionals is the decline in participation rates after the first few weeks. To anticipate this, the programme is specially designed using an ‘Urgency by Design’ approach. This method integrates a curriculum based on real banking scenarios, a tightly structured schedule, and real-time progress monitoring via an analytical dashboard to maintain consistent participant engagement throughout the programme. ELSA Business’s AI Learning Agent technology acts as a virtual coach, capable of personalising the learning path according to each employee’s profile, role, and work challenges. For example, a Branch Manager will receive roleplay conversation simulations relevant to daily field activities, from serving premier customers to business negotiations. This approach positions AI technology not merely as learning tools but as business performance support tools. ELSA Business Indonesia Country Director, Yasser Muhammad Syaiful, welcomed the collaboration, noting that the platform, recognised by Forbes among the top four best AI in the world, is ready to deliver measurable commercial impact for the financial services sector.