News & Insights

Here, you’ll find an interesting assortment of news stories and opinion pieces from Albany Beck. The industry is evolving faster than ever right now and we can help you keep up with all the latest issues, challenges and opportunities, as well as giving you an insight into exciting future developments.

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Insights

Board Advisors and Diverse Teams: Driving Business Growth

Originally published by Finance Outlook India In an exclusive interaction with Adlin Pertishya Jebaraj, correspondent of Finance Outlook Magazine, Jason Hale, Strategic Advisor at Albany Beck, provides great insight into the transformational role of board advisor and the impact on modern governance. Ranging from ESG and AI adoption to cultural change and digital oversight, the talk explores how best practices for advisory models enable organisations to be resilient and 'future-fit'. Jason is an experienced Strategic Advisor with Albany Beck, specialising in guiding organisations through complex transformations to achieve sustainable and cost-effective performance. With over 25 years of leadership experience at Deutsche Bank across transformation, finance, and technology, he brings deep global and India-specific expertise in building high-performing teams and scalable business platforms.

Insights

Prioritising People: The hidden key to successful payment migrations

When it comes to tech migrations in financial services, success is more elusive than most expect. It’s estimated that between 60% to 75% of digital transformation projects fail to meet their intended outcomes - a reflection of the broader, systemic challenges facing the sector. At the sharp end of these statistics sit organisations facing heavy costs and reputational damage. Consider one major UK high-street bank that locked nearly two million customers out of their accounts following a rushed migration, landing itself with a £330 million loss and a £48 million fine. Or the UK-based payments provider whose six-hour outage brought high-value transactions to a standstill, halting business for clients across Europe. It’s no surprise many firms are reluctant to press go on a migration. But for payment providers, putting off modernisation isn’t an option. Capabilities have moved on and so have customer expectations. Clients now demand flexible, 24-hour payment processing. The answer is modern cloud-built systems shaped around microservices, that enable faster product launches, real-time processing and global scale. Patching legacy systems to try and keep up is a costly and short-lived solution. To further reflect this point, an International Data Corporation study found financial institutions miss out on 42% of payments-related revenue if they delay migrating to future-ready platforms. The benefits of shifting are clear. The hard part is migrating from old to new.

Insights

In conversation: Jason Hale on the value of fractional advisory services

Continuing our series on fractional advisory services, we sat down with Jason Hale, Former Managing Director at Deutsche Bank and Fractional Advisor at Albany Beck, to explore how this model is reshaping the way organisations leverage executive insights. A seasoned transformation architect with over 25 years of experience in regulatory reporting, financial transformation, and technology enablement, Jason has seen first-hand how businesses benefit from senior leadership on a flexible, cost-effective basis. His perspective underlines why fractional advisory is not just a short-term solution, but a powerful long-term strategy. In this Q&A, Jason explains how fractional advisory differs from consultancy and interim models, the types of business problems it can solve, and his advice for companies looking to get the most out of these engagements.

Insights

In conversation: Tarrill Baker on why fractional advisors multiply strategic impact

At Albany Beck, we’re dedicated to bringing fresh thinking to the challenges our clients face. To strengthen this commitment, we’ve recently launched our Fractional Advisory Service, offering access to senior expertise on a flexible basis. We sat down with Tarrill Baker, former Chief Data Officer at HSBC and Albany Beck Fractional Advisor, to explore the value of fractional advisory services. With her extensive experience in executive leadership, transformation, and advisory roles, Tarrill brings a unique perspective on how organisations can unlock real business outcomes through this model. This insightful Q&A with Tarrill explores where fractional advisors add the greatest value, how success should be measured, and why external expertise can be a powerful multiplier for firms navigating complexity.

Insights

ID-Pal and Albany Beck Announce Strategic Partnership to Enhance KYC and AML Programmes

Albany Beck, a world-class supplier of the highest-quality consultancy talent to financial institutions and ID-Pal, a global leader in digital identity verification solutions, are thrilled to announce a strategic partnership aimed at revolutionising KYC & AML compliance processes.

Insights

Driving Transformation Success in Financial Services: The Critical Role of Programme Management in 2025

The financial services industry faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities in 2025, driven by technological advances, shifting regulations, and evolving customer expectations. To navigate this landscape successfully, transformation agendas underpinned by effective programme management are pivotal.

Insights

The Future of Programme Management: Trends and Technologies to Watch in 2025

Programme management is evolving rapidly, driven by technological innovation and shifting organisational needs. As we step into 2025, the role of programme managers is becoming more critical than ever, requiring adaptability, forward-thinking strategies, and a keen eye on emerging trends.

The Evolution of Wealth Management: Driving Client Engagement and Industry Transformation

The wealth management industry is undergoing a profound transformation. With rapid technological advancements, a new wave of intergenerational wealth transfer, and heightened demand for socially responsible investments, firms are rethinking their approaches to client engagement and service delivery.

Events , Insights

Preparing for legislation changes in 2025 - Albany Beck’s Change Management Solutions Breakfast Roundtable

How can financial firms manage change in an ever-evolving and complex regulatory landscape?

Insights

Albany Beck Appoints Paul O’Brien as Managing Partner in Ireland

Paul O’Brien has been appointed as Managing Partner for Ireland at Albany Beck, a London-based financial services consultancy firm. A highly accomplished financial expert, Paul brings over two decades of industry leadership to the role. Most recently, as CEO of Delta Capita's Irish operations, Paul was responsible for the business's growth, transforming it from a six-person team with a single client in 2018 to a thriving enterprise of almost 100 employees serving more than 25 clients. Paul’s appointment marks a significant milestone in Albany Beck’s rapid expansion in the Irish financial services market. His deep expertise in financial operations, combined with his professional credentials as a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA) and his Master’s in IT for Accountants, positions him to successfully lead Albany Beck’s growth in Ireland. Paul's career includes several senior leadership roles at PwC, Delta Capita Consulting, eBay, Pfizer, JP Morgan and Bank of Scotland, where he gained invaluable experience in driving high-performance teams and strategic business transformations. Albany Beck recruits, trains and deploys consultants for global financial institutions, having first entered the Irish market in 2018. Since then, the company has expanded significantly, creating hundreds of jobs across high-demand sectors such as KYC, AML, fund administration, risk management, and technology. One of its most notable achievements in Ireland has been the launch of its ‘Change Management Solutions’ service, designed to address the evolving needs of its growing client base. Looking ahead, under Pauls’ leadership, Albany Beck aims to continue its momentum by focusing on job creation in emerging areas such as Operations, Data & Technology and Transformation, strengthening its role as a trusted partner for Ireland’s financial institutions. Adam Kelly, Managing Partner with Albany Beck commented on the appointment, “We are delighted to welcome Paul to the Albany Beck team as Managing Partner for Ireland. His extensive leadership experience and proven track record in driving business growth make him the ideal person to lead our Irish operations at this exciting phase of our expansion. His expertise in financial services, coupled with his strategic vision and ability to deliver results, will be invaluable as we continue to expand our footprint in the Irish market. We’re excited about the new opportunities Paul’s leadership will bring, not only for our clients but also for our team, in helping position Ireland as a leader in innovation, sustainability, and change within the global financial markets”. Reflecting on his new position, Paul said,

Technology Insights