Beyond AI adoption: Rethinking leadership as technology and operations converge

Financial services companies are moving beyond AI experimentation toward broader implementation across the business. As these efforts expand, technology and operations teams must work more closely together to determine how new capabilities will be incorporated into existing processes.

For executives, this creates a challenge that extends beyond implementing new technology. Companies must consider whether their leadership teams have the experience to oversee these changes and whether their organizations have the resources and specialized capabilities to carry them out. Interim executives and project-based specialists can provide additional expertise, support implementation, and help firms assess how their leadership and workforce needs are evolving.

Technology and operations are becoming more interconnected

Integrating AI and automation into everyday operations requires companies to look beyond the systems themselves. They must also examine the processes those systems support, how information moves between teams, and where decisions and oversight should sit. This shift is reflected in our 2026 High-End Independent Talent Report, which found that 25% of independent-talent requests across business functions involved digital, data, and AI work.

For many financial services companies, legacy platforms, fragmented data, and gaps in governance add complexity to this work. Addressing these constraints is particularly important when determining which activities can be automated, how systems and data will connect, and where human judgment and oversight remain necessary.

What financial services companies need from technology and operations leaders

As technology decisions become more closely tied to how financial services companies operate, executives need a broader understanding of both functions. Technology and operations leaders still bring different expertise to their roles, but their decisions increasingly affect one another's areas of responsibility.

For COOs and other operations leaders, this means building on their experience managing people, processes, and business performance with a working understanding of how AI, automation, and digital platforms can improve operations—and what it takes to put those capabilities into practice.

The expectations for technology leaders are evolving as well. Companies need executives who understand the operational and commercial implications of their decisions, including how technology can improve the delivery of products and services, meet customer needs, and contribute to business performance. This requires a broader perspective than technical expertise alone.

In our work with financial services companies, we're seeing these changes reflected in how executive candidates are evaluated—particularly when it comes to AI. Familiarity with emerging technologies is no longer enough on its own; Companies want to understand what leaders have actually implemented, how they incorporated new capabilities into existing business processes, and what impact those changes had on performance.

Identifying the capabilities required is only part of the challenge. Companies must also determine whether they have the expertise and capacity within their existing teams to put their plans into action, and whether their longer-term leadership structures are suited to the work ahead.

Demand for interim leadership reflects these changing needs. Requests for interim digital, data, and IT leaders increased 58% since 2023, according to our research.

Interim and permanent talent can address different stages of the leadership need

Interim executives and project-based specialists can serve different purposes within a broader talent strategy, from supporting specific initiatives to helping organizations clarify their longer-term leadership requirements.

Specialized expertise supports AI implementation

Implementing new technologies across multiple functions can require experience that goes beyond technical expertise. Organizations may also need professionals who know how to coordinate complex programs, manage interdependencies, and keep work moving across teams.

One financial services company was modernizing its data infrastructure to support broader AI adoption while pursuing several cross-functional initiatives with board-level visibility. The organization brought in experienced project and program management professionals to coordinate those efforts, complementing the foundational technology work underway.

Project-based talent adds execution capacity

Having the right technology leaders in place doesn't necessarily mean having enough people to execute every initiative. A large financial services company, for example, had an expanding portfolio of technology projects but lacked dedicated owners for a growing number of workstreams.

As its technology initiatives expanded, one financial services company needed additional support to manage the work across its portfolio. The organization brought in project-based professionals to strengthen its program management capabilities, including coordinating initiatives and helping manage relationships with external technology partners such as OpenAI.

Interim leadership helps define permanent roles

When leadership responsibilities are evolving, organizations may recognize the need for an experienced executive before they have a clear picture of what the permanent position should encompass. Interim appointments can address an immediate leadership need while helping an organization clarify the scope, priorities, and capabilities required in the permanent role.

A financial services technology company faced this situation as it separated previously combined leadership responsibilities and sought to strengthen its engineering capabilities. An interim technology executive worked directly with the engineering team to improve its practices and make better use of its tools.

The experience changed the CEO's understanding of what the permanent role required. Rather than proceeding with the original position profile, the company hired the interim executive permanently.

In another engagement, a financial services company appointed an interim data leader while conducting a permanent executive search. The arrangement allowed the organization to address its immediate leadership needs while the search proceeded and gave the interim executive an opportunity to evaluate the company from within. It illustrates how an interim appointment can complement a permanent search rather than serve as an alternative to one.

Permanent executive search may be the appropriate starting point when a company has a clear mandate for the role and existing leadership can manage business priorities during recruitment. Interim leaders can complement that process when critical work needs attention before a permanent executive is in place, or when changing business needs require different expertise or a reassessment of the role itself

Matching leadership to technology and operational needs

As AI, automation, and other digital capabilities reshape technology and operations across financial services, companies need to reconsider whether their existing leadership structures are equipped for the work ahead. The right talent strategy should account for both the expertise needed to implement these changes and how the experience gained along the way may inform longer-term leadership decisions. 

About the authors

Eliza Clemens (eclemens@heidrick.com) is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ New York office and a member of the Technology Officers practice.

Laura Klein (lklein@heidrick.com) is a partner in the Financial Services Practice focused on interim solutions. She is based in the New York office.