Report Reveals Six Business Strategies for Financial Firms as Tech Takes Over

As artificial intelligence technologies continue to reshape financial services across Canada and around the world, a new report from Info-Tech Research Group reveals some of the strategies leaders are being encouraged to adopt moving forward.

The financial services sector faces “a convergence of technology disruption, rising operational risk, and mounting pressure to deliver measurable innovation,” according to Info-Tech’s 2025 report titled “Best Research for the Professional and Financial Services Sectors.”

“Financial and professional services firms are operating in high-trust environments with rising expectations for performance, transparency, and resilience,” says Info-Tech Research Group’s Chief Research Officer, Gord Harrison.

“The research in this report is designed to help IT leaders lead through uncertainty while building the capabilities needed to stay competitive and compliant, whether that means evolving governance models, modernizing risk management, or delivering value with greater agility,” he added.

At the centre of the AI-powered shift in fintech is a need for smarter vendor management, more robust data strategies, and responsible AI governance, the report suggests.

Specifically, six strategies are detailed.

1. Build a Business-Aligned IT Strategy
2. Build a Robust and Comprehensive Data Strategy
3. Jump Start Your Vendor Management Initiative
4. Build an Information Security Strategy
5. Govern the Use of AI Responsibly With a Fit-for-Purpose Structure
6. Establish Data Governance

For example, with regard to #2, data is no longer a “backroom concern” but rather a “strategic resource” that finds its greatest value when it can help with critical decisions and lead to outcomes, according to the report.

Yet data has no inherent value without an organization-aligned strategy, thus why Info-Tech suggests teams deeply consider how they leverage the power of data.

Overall, “economic upheaval and rapid technological evolution pose significant challenges—and opportunities–for professional and financial services firms,” the report concludes. Amid this disruption, IT leaders “are being called to the forefront like never before,” as “navigating this moment requires vision, agility, and leadership across all IT domains.”