The gap between what technology can do and what an organization will actually accept is where the real work happens.
In this episode of CTO Confidential, Mike Rispoli sits down with Jessi Szurek, Associate Partner at Synthesis, an AI native consulting firm focused on financial services and enterprise transformation. Over 17 years in technology consulting, Jessi has seen the industry shift from waterfall methodologies to agile, from low-code platforms to AI, and from paper-based requirements to digital transformation at scale.
We dig into what it actually takes to implement AI in highly regulated financial environments, why proprietary data becomes the real competitive advantage, and how the non-deterministic nature of AI creates challenges in domains where consistency is non-negotiable. Jessi shares insights on building trust with stakeholders, the importance of user adoption over technology selection, and why the human element remains irreplaceable in finance.
This is a conversation about consulting with integrity, understanding your clients beyond the surface, and building solutions that people will actually use.
What we cover:
- Origin story from architecture to AI strategy and governance
- How AI disrupted the low-code and no-code platform market
- Implementing technology in highly regulated financial environments
- The non-determinism problem in AI for finance
- Proprietary data as the actual competitive moat
- Why quick wins and MVPs matter in consulting
- User adoption as the real measure of success
- The human touch in wealth management and financial advisory
- AI's design limitations and the commoditization of mediocre design
- Compliance, governance, and the layers of enterprise risk
- Career advice for a tough tech job market
- Finding your path when it is not linear
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessi-petrosino/
https://synthesis.inc/
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