London, UK – 11 August 2025 – Armstrong Wolfe, the global financial services advisory firm, and NTT DATA, a digital business and IT services leader, have today announced a strategic collaboration to strengthen Chief Information Officer (CIO) leadership across financial services and support AI education for future industry leaders.
As part of the collaboration, Armstrong Wolfe and NTT DATA will deliver a 90-day engagement programme focused on the evolving role of CIOs. The initiative will explore how CIOs can effectively manage transformation and strengthen work between IT and business operations, while aligning more closely with in-business Chief Operating Officers.
In parallel, the collaboration will launch an initiative dedicated equipping rising stars across the industry with practical knowledge on artificial intelligence. This programme will explore the real-world impact of AI and Agentic Automation, evaluating whether these technologies represent a genuine pathway to enhanced productivity, cost efficiency, and workforce optimisation to deliver core banking objectives - or if they are simply the next industry hype.
Key themes will also include issues around security and resilience. As cyber threats increase in frequency and sophistication, the programme will consider the evolving partnership between IT and security functions, and how CIOs can lead teams effectively in an environment where high-profile outages often attract intense scrutiny. Discussions will focus on how technology leaders can remain resilient, collaborative, and inspirational under pressure.
These themes will work in parallel with a third focus point: people. The initiative will examine how CIOs and Chief Technology Officers are navigating transformation in a landscape defined by hyper-acceleration and connectivity. One aspect of this will explore how technology leaders can foster cultures that meet operational demands while also supporting prioritising wellbeing, sustainability, and societal impact.
Maurice Evlyn-Bufton, CEO of Armstrong Wolfe, commented:
"This collaboration with NTT DATA reflects our shared commitment to supporting leadership through transformation. As the role of the CIO becomes ever more pivotal to business success, it is critical that we foster greater alignment across technology and operations, while also investing in the leaders of tomorrow."
Andy Nelson, Head of Banking & Financial Services at NTT DATA UK&I, added:
"We are excited to be working with Armstrong Wolfe to deliver programmes that address two of the most important topics in our industry – transformation leadership and AI readiness. This partnership brings together our collective expertise to support both senior leaders and emerging talent across financial services."
The collaboration officially launched in July 2025 and will include a series of CIO leadership roundtables, and knowledge-sharing events across key financial centres.