SBS to convene UK banking and finance leaders in London for AI-focused event

By AI, Created 11:42 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – SBS will host Connect London 2026 on June 16 at 88 Wood Street, bringing together more than 200 senior leaders from retail banking, building societies and specialized finance. The event is designed to spotlight how UK financial firms are using AI and what comes next for digital finance.

Why it matters: - AI adoption is now mainstream across UK financial services, and the next challenge is scaling those tools safely while improving customer experience. - SBS is using Connect London 2026 to bring together decision-makers who are shaping how banks, building societies and asset finance firms modernize their operating models. - The event is positioned around practical execution, not theory, at a time when institutions are under pressure to move beyond pilot projects.

What happened: - SBS will host SBS Connect London 2026 for the second consecutive year. - The event takes place on June 16, 2026, at 88 Wood Street in London’s financial district. - More than 200 senior leaders and decision-makers from retail banking, building societies, auto finance and asset finance are expected to attend. - The program includes keynotes, expert panels, customer case studies and curated networking under the theme “Shaping the Future of Digital Finance.” - The evening will include a networking reception with food, drinks and live entertainment.

The details: - The agenda is split into two tracks: Retail Banking & Building Societies and Specialized Auto & Asset Finance. - Henry Coutinho-Mason will open with an interactive keynote, “The Future Normal: Designing a People-First AI Strategy.” - Coutinho-Mason’s session will use three provocations from outside financial services to frame how organizations can redesign themselves around AI. - Additional keynotes will come from Dharmesh Mistry of Vision 20 20 Consulting, Ian Plummer of Autotrader UK and Eric Bierry, CEO of SBS. - The Retail Banking & Building Societies track will focus on safely scaling AI and redefining branches and human advice. - Speakers in that track include Paul Denton of Scottish Building Society, Alun Williams of Swansea Building Society, Maria Harris of the Open Property Data Association and Ben Lillywhite of Nationwide. - The Specialized Auto & Asset Finance track will focus on AI-driven changes to dealerships and experience-led operations across the lending lifecycle. - Speakers in that track include Markus Collet of CVA, James Baggott of Car Dealer Magazine and Baize Group, Joern Everhard of Bank 11 and Andrew Kilheeney of Lombard, Wholesale and Specialist Businesses. - SBS said more than 1,500 financial institutions rely on the company to digitally transform how they operate. - SBS said its Connect Series gives industry leaders a forum to exchange insights, explore solutions and form strategic collaborations. - Registration is available through the event announcement the company’s announcement.

Between the lines: - The agenda shows SBS is framing AI as an operating-model issue, not just a technology upgrade. - By splitting the event into retail banking and specialized finance, SBS is signaling that different segments face distinct AI use cases and implementation challenges. - The focus on customer experience, branches and lending workflows suggests the industry conversation has moved from experimentation to redesign.

What’s next: - Attendees will use the June event to compare AI strategies, share operating lessons and identify near-term priorities. - SBS is likely to keep building the Connect Series as a customer and market engagement platform across regions. - The London event may help surface how UK firms plan to scale AI more safely over the next phase of digital finance transformation.