Podcast | Shaping the Future of Financial Services

with Seamus Smith, FIS

In an environment marked by macroeconomic volatility, regulatory complexity and accelerating innovation, one principle continues to rise above the noise: Trust drives transformation.

In this interview from the video series The Modern CIO Dilemma, Protiviti speaks with Seamus Smith, executive vice president and group president at FIS, to explore how forward-looking financial institutions are navigating disruption — and where the biggest opportunities lie. With decades of experience leading through economic cycles and overseeing major mergers-and-acquisitions integrations, Smith offers a clear-eyed view into what it takes to thrive in uncertain times.

Stability, Scale and Speed: What Clients Are Demanding Now

Today’s financial services leaders are under pressure to deliver on two fronts: resilience and reinvention. As Smith notes, clients are looking for partners with a proven track record — firms that can demonstrate successful delivery in high-stakes, high-complexity environments.

From ensuring cash-flow continuity to navigating interest-rate volatility and credit risk, the stakes are high. Confidence matters, and clients are increasingly choosing to align with partners who not only talk transformation but also deliver on it.

AI as a Growth Catalyst — Not Just a Cost Reducer

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a conversation — it’s a strategic imperative. Smith highlights that at FIS, AI is being embedded deeply into product innovation, beyond surface-level automation or chatbots. It’s about reimagining business value.

Quoting a Microsoft study that shows a $3.70 return for every $1 invested in AI, Smith views emerging technologies as a springboard for growth. The key shift? AI isn’t simply a tool for cost takeout — it’s a way to redeploy capital into high-impact innovation. From financial intelligence to operational scalability, AI is enabling financial institutions to focus more on investment and less on manual, repeatable processes.

Protiviti helps clients capitalize on these opportunities by aligning digital strategies with long-term business outcomes — not just tech trends.

Signals of Confidence: Product Innovation and Strategic Investments

During the Emerald 2025 event, Smith outlined a series of strategic bets FIS is making to support its clients:

• Launching new solutions like Revenue Connect and the Money Movement Hub
• Investing in financial intelligence tools that enhance decision-making
• Acquiring digital banking and supply chain finance platforms
• Expanding issuer processing capabilities through a major transaction

These moves underscore a key message: future-ready firms are actively investing — not pausing. And they’re doing so with an ecosystem of trusted partners who can help them navigate uncertainty with clarity.

What Today’s CIOs Should Take Away

The conversation ends with a simple yet powerful takeaway: Trust and confidence are strategic assets. In an industry that’s rapidly evolving, clients want to work with solution providers who combine innovation with executional reliability.

For CIOs, that means partnering with organizations that can:

• Deliver outcomes, not just tools
• Understand global macro conditions and regulatory shifts
• Operationalize AI for long-term growth
• Build momentum through both organic and inorganic innovation.

Protiviti brings this combination of strategic vision and executional strength — helping financial services firms modernize with speed, resilience and confidence.

The Modern CIO Dilemma

In this exclusive series from Protiviti, explore quick-hit insights and executive perspectives on the evolving role of the CIO in financial services. The Modern CIO Dilemma distills key conversations into video briefings and podcast episodes. You’ll hear directly from finance transformation leaders on how CIOs are tackling today’s most pressing issues — from regulatory uncertainty to payment modernization. Whether you're rethinking your data architecture, implementing AI responsibly or preparing for the next compliance shift, this series brings clarity to complexity — fast.

Watch the series