On this episode of Scouting For Growth, Sabine VdL meets Areiel Wolanow, Managing Director of FinServ Experts, for a sharp, strategy-first conversation on emerging tech, responsible AI, and why most “digital transformations” fail before they ever create value. Areiel’s journey spans IBM to founding FinServ Experts, but his message is refreshingly consistent: Don’t fall in love with the technology. Fall in love with the business model it enables. Stop modernising the old — design the new Areiel challenges one of the biggest traps in enterprise innovation: using new technology to simply re-engineer yesterday’s operating model. Instead, he argues emerging tech should be used to unlock new business models, new value chains, and new ways to serve customers. That mindset shift is what separates “innovation theatre” from real advantage. AI success starts with brutal self-awareness When it comes to AI, Areiel is clear: the biggest risk isn’t model selection — it’s solving the wrong problem. Before applying maturity models or gap analyses, leaders must ask a tougher question: Is the proximate cause actually the real problem? AI adoption should be grounded in organisational self-awareness: understanding what’s broken, what’s possible, and what the enterprise is mature enough to operationalise safely. Responsible AI: the EU AI Act is a blueprint, not just regulation Areiel points to the EU AI Act as one of the most useful frameworks available for responsible AI. Its value goes beyond compliance: it offers risk categories, controls, and governance principles that can help organisations everywhere build ethical AI practices with more clarity and less guesswork. In his view, it may even benefit companies outside the EU more — because they can adopt the structure without carrying the compliance burden. Quantum computing: the security clock is ticking Areiel also raises a forward-looking concern many executives aren’t planning for yet: quantum computing. As quantum capabilities advance, today’s encryption methods could become vulnerable. The organisations that win won’t be the ones reacting late — they’ll be the ones planning early by adopting quantum-resilient algorithms and preparing their data strategy long before the risk becomes urgent. Transformation vs migration: the smarter path forward Perhaps the most provocative line in the episode is Areiel’s blunt take: Digital transformations have two things in common: they’re expensive, and they always fail. His alternative? Think migration, not transformation. Move deliberately, reduce disruption, and evolve your operating model through staged progress rather than big-bang reinvention. Give younger talent the keys (with guardrails) Areiel also challenges leaders to rethink how they use internal talent. Younger team members often have stronger fluency in emerging technologies — but they’re rarely given the responsibility to drive meaningful outcomes. His advice: empower them with autonomy, support, and real ownership. That’s where unexpected innovation can emerge. Why this episode matters For insurance and financial services leaders, this conversation is a practical playbook for navigating the next wave of change: build business models, not tech demos diagnose root causes before deploying AI use governance frameworks to scale trust prepare now for quantum security risk migrate strategically instead of “transforming” blindly Because in the next era of financial services, the winners won’t be the ones with the newest tools. They’ll be the ones who turn technology into strategy — and strategy into results.