Money 20/20 Europe brought together senior leaders from across the payments and fintech ecosystem. Several consistent themes emerged that speak to where the market is heading and the leadership challenges that come with it.‍

‍AI transformation is creating a leadership gap

The question being asked across the fintech and payments sector is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to lead through the organiszational change that adoption demands. Firms are restructuring workflows, redefining functions, and making significant investment decisions at pace, but the leadership architecture to support that transformation is frequently underdeveloped relative to the technology itself.

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A consistent observation across our conversations was the absence of clear ownership: who is responsible for AI transformation inside the business, and where does that accountability sit? Technology leadership, Corporate Functions, and newly created roles are all in play, but the boundaries remain unsettled at many organisations. The firms navigating this most effectively are those that have approached AI adoption as a strategic leadership challenge rather than a technology implementation.

"What struck us repeatedly was how far ahead the technology investment was running relative to the people decisions. Firms are committing significant capital to AI, but the leadership structures to actually drive that change are still being figured out in real time." - Tom Chambers, Principal

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The demand for senior leaders with the experience and credibility to guide organisations through this transition is growing, and it extends well beyond the CTO or CDO. Chief People Officers, heads of Corporate Functions, and cross-functional transformation leads are increasingly central to how firms structure their response.

Talent functions are driving senior hiring decisions

In high-growth fintech, talent strategy and business strategy are closely linked. Organisations that have invested in building a senior, empowered People function are better positioned to move quickly on critical hires and to engage external search partners in a more strategic way.

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This is visible in how hiring decisions are being made. Where the People function operates with genuine authority, it shapes not just process but priorities, ensuring that executive hiring is tied directly to business outcomes rather than managed as a transactional activity. For organisations looking to attract senior talent in a competitive market, the maturity of the internal talent function is increasingly a differentiator.

“The organisations winning on talent in payments right now are the ones where the People function has real strategic weight. They move faster, they make better hiring decisions, and they build more productive relationships with a select group of search partners. Our partnerships with our clients supports this observation.” - Seema Brin, Partner

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The fintech and payments sector continues to produce complex, senior leadership challenges. As AI transformation accelerates and organisations restructure around new capabilities, having the right people in place at the right moment has never mattered more.