Executive Dinner: Rip and Replace, or Wrap and Renew? The Modernisation Dilemma

Financial services and Insurance organisations are at a pivotal moment. The urgency to modernise is increasing; driven by broader competition, customer experience and technology innovation. However with ageing infrastructure, rising costs, growing financial pressure and resilience, modernisation is a huge business challenge. Traditional large-scale transformation programmes all too often failed to deliver; proving slow, complex, and high-risk, while eroding business confidence. The reality is clear: there is no single “right” modernisation approach. However a new technology has emerged that is helping to solve some of these complex issues and redefine how modernisation can be realised, Agentic AI i offer the ability for organisations to shift from multi-year programmes to more adaptive, domain-led approaches that prioritise outcomes over wholesale system replacement. This exclusive, peer-led roundtable brings together senior leaders to explore how organisations are moving beyond the binary of “rip and replace” versus “wrap and renew,” instead adopting strategies that: Align modernisation decisions with the realities of mission-critical legacy systems and regulatory obligations. Sequence change at the domain level, balancing risk, opportunity, and system criticality Leverage Agentic AI as a model for modernisation that shifts both the speed and the structure of transformation. Move from fragmented AI pilots to scaled, enterprise-wide impact Evolve data, governance, and operating models to enable AI-ready, resilient organisations. Unlock faster innovation, deliver meaningful business outcomes, faster product innovation, improved customer experience, and sustainable cost optimisation. Crucially, the discussion will focus on how to modernise mission-critical environments, where decades of data, regulatory obligations, and operational complexity make change uniquely challenging, without compromising stability, compliance, or customer trust. Designed for senior technology and business leaders, this session moves beyond theory to share practical strategies for becoming AI-native, where modernisation is no longer a one-off programme, but a continuous, intelligent capability embedded across the organisation. Hosted under Chatham House Rules, this dinner provides a trusted environment for open dialogue, shared insight, and practical takeaways, helping you define your path to modernisation with greater confidence and clarity.