London, EC1M 5NP United Kingdom
2023 woke us up to AI.
2024 got us experimenting with AI.
2025 proved what’s possible.
2026 is when wealth managers scale AI with discipline, confidence and measurable ROI.
Across wealth management, boards are united by a singular ambition: to deliver sustainable, substantially higher performance across every dimension of the business. And that must happen within the boundaries of:
- Legal and regulatory expectations
- Ethical and responsible deployment
- Credible stewardship for clients and markets
In this new operating reality, AI is not a technology choice — it is a strategic imperative. A catalyst to unlock productivity, elevate client service, accelerate compliance accuracy, and build future-proof operating models.
Yet many wealth and advice firms remain stuck in pilot mode: high activity — low impact.
That’s why PIMFA and Publicis Sapient have joined forces as partners to create the AI Leaders Incubator Programme, combining PIMFA’s reach across the UK wealth and advice sector with Publicis Sapient’s real-world transformation and AI delivery expertise. Together, we’ve co-designed the curriculum, bringing practitioner insight, live case studies, and frameworks drawn from projects already shaping digital transformation in wealth management.”
What can you expect from the AI Leaders Incubator Programme?
The AI Leaders Incubator is a focused, hands-on learning experience delivered across two highly immersive days. You’ll cut through the hype and tackle the core strategic questions facing boards today: Where does AI genuinely move the needle? How do we scale it responsibly? And how do we deliver measurable, sustainable performance gains within a regulated environment?
This is not a conference.
There are no panels, no passive sessions, no “AI tourism.”
It is a strategic design environment where leaders work alongside AI practitioners and transformation experts to:
- Turn industry-relevant AI use cases into real prototypes
- Build credible business cases with measurable ROI and compliance considerations
- Design governance frameworks that satisfy regulatory expectations
- Develop the confidence, capability, and narrative to lead AI adoption at scale
Through live experimentation, design thinking, guided hacks, and board-ready business case work, you’ll graduate with:
- A validated AI use-case and working prototype
- A board-ready business case & ROI model
- A practical 30-day implementation roadmap
- The confidence and competence to champion responsible AI across your firm
This programme exists to solve the industry’s current friction point: most firms are experimenting with AI — but few are delivering impact at scale. The Incubator gives you the frameworks, tools, and executive confidence to change that — turning intent into traction, and traction into transformational performance.
What challenges will the AI Leaders Incubator support you in overcoming?
- Tightening Margins? Learn to Automate What Matters. Discover how AI can streamline manual processes, reduce inefficiency, and free up capacity for high-value client work — turning cost pressure into productivity gains.
- Rising Client Expectations? Redefine Personalisation at Scale. Build and test AI use-cases that deliver smarter insights, hyper-personalised experiences, and faster decision-making — giving your firm a competitive edge in client trust and satisfaction.
- Regulatory Complexity? Design with Compliance in Mind. Translate complex FCA expectations into AI-ready frameworks that embed accountability, explainability, and governance into every workflow — before the regulator asks.
- Outdated Playbooks? Reimagine How Your Firm Operates. Break free from siloed business models. Collaborate across functions to design AI solutions that connect compliance, operations, and client experience into one intelligent ecosystem.
- Manual Processes? Make AI Your New Colleague. Move beyond “pilot paralysis.” In this incubator, you’ll test, refine, and deploy AI tools that turn repetitive tasks into automated intelligence — built responsibly, for real impact.
- Choosing the Right AI Strategy? Build for Your Reality.
- Learn how to align AI ambition with your firm’s size, data maturity, and risk appetite — selecting scalable use-cases that deliver measurable, defensible results.
- Prove the Business Case. Gain the tools to track, quantify, and communicate AI’s impact — from cost savings to client experience — and translate innovation into tangible returns.
The AI Leaders Incubator does more than teach AI — it accelerates intelligent transformation. Here’s how:
- Elite practitioner mentorship – Work shoulder-to-shoulder with AI strategists who have already delivered real solutions — not theory.
- Build in the arena – Roll up your sleeves in live labs to design, test, and refine AI workflows and decision-support tools tailored to wealth and advice.
- Real frameworks, real outcomes – Adopt proven playbooks to spot high-value use cases, manage risk and accountability under UK regulation, and measure commercial ROI from day one.
- A peer group that pushes you further – Join an action-oriented cohort of COOs, CTOs, transformation leads, and compliance heads shaping the next decade of wealth management.
- Demo Day — with purpose – Pitch your prototype or live AI use-case to peers, partners, and stakeholders — secure adoption pathways, budget confidence, and executive buy-in.
Who’s the AI Leaders Incubator for?
You’re a senior leader — not a coder. No background in IT or data science required. You’re the decision-maker in your firm, shaping digital strategy, driving innovation, and making the big calls on investment, risk, and transformation. You’re ready to turn data and AI into your next competitive advantage. The AI Leaders Incubator is built for senior executives who want to move beyond experimentation and make AI real — embedding it into operations, culture, and strategy to deliver measurable business results.
Enrolment
Enrolment is now open for cohort one of the AI Leaders Incubator. Places are limited and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Still have questions?
Please contact:
Philip Allen, Head of Learning
learning@pimfa.co.uk