Alex Long - Head of Product

We recently caught up with Alex Long to learn more about his newly appointed role as Head of Product at Capital International.

What is your job role?

My name is Alex Long and I'm Head of Product at Capital International. My role is to lead our development teams in shaping how we design and deliver our products. A big part of that involves listening closely to client feedback, particularly through our Voice of the Client forum, and making sure their insights guide every stage of the product journey. From initial ideas to final delivery, I work across design, development, and marketing to ensure our products truly meet client needs. Ultimately, my main focus is keeping the voice of our clients at the heart of everything we do.

What have your first few months in the role looked like?

Stepping into the role as Head of Product, my initial focus was on reviewing and restructuring the teams now under the Product Office, bringing together Bank and Investment Product & Innovation, Program Management, Marketing, IT Development, and Quality Assurance. This consolidation has created a more unified structure, now comprising Project & Program Management, IT Development & QA, and Marketing. The aim is to streamline delivery, free up teams to focus on critical priorities, and better align with the Group’s Strategic Framework and long-term goals.

At the same time, I’ve been broadening my knowledge beyond the investment platform to support a more holistic view of the business. Within the first month, I was already presenting our product roadmap at conferences in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Since then, a key priority has been improving the consistency of our user interfaces to ensure a more seamless and client-focused experience.

What aspects of your role or upcoming projects are you most excited about?

I’m particularly excited about the development of our new mobile banking app. While mobile app development is a newer area for me, it’s a critical channel for client engagement, and I’m enjoying the opportunity to apply product thinking in a space that’s evolving rapidly.

I’m also leading the replacement of our core order and portfolio management system on the investment platform. It’s a technically complex and strategically important project, arguably one of the most significant we’ve undertaken. It’s been fascinating to trace how trades and transactions flow through the business and identify opportunities to modernise and streamline those processes end to end.

In what ways does your role help bridge different departments within the organisation?

A key part of my role is ensuring alignment across the Product Office and the wider business. That starts with listening to and understanding the strategic direction of the company and translating that into clear, actionable priorities for our delivery teams. I provide context, set focus, and ensure teams have the resources they need to execute effectively.

By bringing together previously separate functions, Bank and Investment Product & Innovation, Marketing, IT Development, Quality Assurance, and Program Management, into a single Product Office, we’ve created a more integrated structure. This shift allows for better collaboration, clearer accountability, and a more unified approach to delivering client-focused solutions.

I also spend time engaging directly with clients, gathering insights and feedback that help shape our product strategy. That client perspective is essential in bridging internal teams and ensuring we stay focused on what matters most.

What’s been the most exciting or rewarding project you’ve worked on so far in this role?

One of the most rewarding projects has been contributing to the development of our banking platform. While I wasn’t at the core of the build, I played a role in designing elements like VELTA and supporting the wider team throughout the process. It was a great experience to be part of something so transformative.

More recently, I’ve been especially proud of the work we’re doing to replace our back-office system on the investment platform. This project will move us from daily batch processing to real-time data flows, giving clients faster, more accurate insights to support better financial decisions. It’s a major step forward in how we deliver value, and I’m excited to see it come to life.

I’m also looking forward to the launch of our mobile banking app. It is my first time working in mobile app development, and it’s a great opportunity to explore new ways of enhancing the client experience.

If you could invite one person to a dinner party, who would they be and why?

I’d choose Sir Jony Ive, a British American Designer and the visionary designer behind many of Apple’s most iconic products, including the iPhone. His approach to product design, combining simplicity, functionality, and elegance, has had a profound influence on how we interact with technology. Given my own passion for product development and design, I’d be fascinated to hear his insights on innovation, user experience, and the creative process behind building products that truly resonate with people.

Disclaimer: The views, thoughts and opinions expressed within this article are those of the speaker(s), and not those of Capital International Group Limited (Group) and/or any of its subsidiary companies and as such are neither given nor endorsed by the Group or any company within the Group. Information in this video does not constitute investment advice or an offer or an invitation by or on behalf of any company within the Group to buy or sell any product or security or to make a bank deposit. Any reference to past performance is not necessarily a guide to the future. The value of investments may go down as well as up and may be adversely affected by currency fluctuations. The Group, its subsidiary companies, clients, and officers may have a position in, or engage in transactions in any of the investments mentioned. Opinions constitute views as at the date of issue thereof and are subject to change.