𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐦𝐚: 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐯𝐬. 𝐁𝐮𝐲 𝐀𝐈 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐦𝐚: 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐯𝐬. 𝐁𝐮𝐲 𝐀𝐈 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬

For Manav Mehra, the build-versus-buy decision in financial services comes down to business value, resource allocation and long-term impact.

With over 24 years of experience across finance, banking, corporate finance, SME portfolio management and treasury operations, he brings a business-focused perspective to AI adoption, emphasising the need to align technology investments with organisational priorities.

Building for Strategic Advantage

Financial institutions with specialised requirements in treasury management, SME portfolio analysis or risk assessment may benefit from developing AI tools internally. Custom solutions can offer greater control over data, workflows and system architecture.

However, Manav’s business-oriented approach highlights the importance of evaluating development costs, technical expertise and ongoing maintenance. Building internally makes sense only when the resulting capabilities justify the investment and deliver measurable business value.

Buying to Accelerate Implementation

For standardised functions such as document processing, reporting and customer support, existing AI solutions may offer a faster, more cost-effective alternative. Buying allows financial firms to leverage established technology without committing extensive resources to development.

The decision must also account for data security, regulatory compliance, integration costs and vendor dependency. A solution that reduces implementation time but introduces significant operational risks may not deliver sustainable value.

Finding the Right Balance

A hybrid approach can help financial institutions combine established AI platforms with customised applications for strategically important functions. This allows organisations to allocate resources more effectively while retaining control over capabilities that influence business performance.

For Manav, the broader consideration is ensuring that technology decisions remain connected to financial discipline, operational requirements and business objectives.

Ultimately, the build-versus-buy decision should be measured by outcomes rather than technological ambition. For financial institutions, successful AI adoption means improving decision-making, strengthening risk management and enhancing operational efficiency while maintaining security and accountability.

The right strategy is one that supports innovation without compromising long-term business priorities.

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