A major transformation has never been easy. In the digital era, it is harder than ever.

In the face of relentless disruptive forces, financial services organisations of all types and sizes are undertaking major transformation programmes. These programmes typically take a long time to complete; often a couple of years or more depending on the scale of the financial services organisation. They are huge, resource-hungry commitments approved at the highest level against a robust business case and carefully planned against a large number of assumptions.

As the world changes at an accelerating pace, so the transformation programme itself must match that rate of change. The rigid disciplines and methodologies that have underpinned successful financial services projects in the past must now be underpinned by mindset; adaptability, resilience, initiative and self-reliance, creativity, innovation, critical thinking and problem-solving. The right mix will ensure programmes stay tracked to the external market, and initiatives always arrive at the true north.