Started in 2007, FSTEP is the brainchild of former BNM Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz and is managed by the Asian Banking School (ABS) in collaboration with BNM. It is entrusted with equipping talents with the right skills and knowledge for their transition and new start into the financial services industry. An industry-driven initiative, it is the aim of FSTEP to be a bridge that connects the needs of the industry with the talents produced by institutions of higher learning. Beyond that, it is believed that with the right training, exposure and experience, graduates of FSTEP can be put into positions of responsibility over the long term and possibly go on to form the pool of future leaders and senior management for the financial services industry.