Finextra and Workday set banking AI webinar for July 30

Finextra has scheduled an online webinar with Workday for Thursday, July 30, 2026, focused on how banks are embedding artificial intelligence across business and employee workflows. The event is listed for 15:00 BST, 16:00 CEST and 10:00 EDT, with 48 people registered.

The session will examine how financial institutions are redesigning human resources, operations and back-office processes around AI, according to Finextra. The agenda also covers the AI skills gap, productivity across key roles, and the governance, data and control frameworks that regulators and employees expect from banks using the technology.

AI moves beyond isolated tools

Finextra said the discussion will address a central challenge for bank executives: AI is often presented as a solution to pressure on HR, operating and technology functions, but adding new tools to older systems does not necessarily produce broad operational gains.

The webinar framing points instead to AI embedded inside workflows. In practice, that means the technology is built into processes such as front-office activity, operational execution and workforce management, rather than being treated as a separate layer that staff must use outside their usual systems.

For banks, that distinction matters because core systems, employee data, risk controls and customer-facing processes are closely linked. A model used in a hiring, staffing or productivity context can raise different governance questions from a model used in operations or client service, even when the underlying technology is similar.

Pressure on HR, operations and technology leaders

Finextra said chief human resources officers are being asked to reskill staff, compete for AI and digital expertise, and ensure responsible use of AI in decisions involving employees. At the same time, chief operating officers and chief information officers are under pressure to improve efficiency and resilience while updating core systems with embedded AI.

The event description says banks making progress are aligning HR, operations and technology leadership rather than treating AI adoption as a single-department project. The webinar will discuss how chief human resources officers, chief operating officers and chief information officers can coordinate work on data, controls and implementation.

Speakers

The panel will include representatives from Workday, PwC and Finextra. Speakers listed by Finextra are:

• Viren Patel, senior industry advisor for financial services at Workday.
• Althea D'Lima, partner at PwC.
• Adam Swinglehurst, partner for finance transformation at PwC.
• Sharon Kimathi, researcher at Finextra, who will moderate the session.

Registration for the webinar is available through Finextra. The sign-up page asks participants for business contact details, country, organisation and institution type, and includes consent options for receiving further communications from Finextra Research, Workday and third parties.

This story draws on original reporting from Finextra Research.