In this episode of Not Just AI, host Pranay Agrawal (Fractal) is joined by Alyson Clarke (Forrester) and Deep Srivastav (Franklin Templeton) to unpack the gap between AI experimentation and true enterprise impact.
Alyson shares why many firms are repeating the mistakes of digital transformation by digitizing existing processes instead of fundamentally rethinking how decisions are made, how value is created, and how business models evolve. She outlines what real AI transformation looks like, from shifting to decision-centric workflows to embedding AI into the core of the business.
Deep brings a practitioner’s perspective, reflecting on Franklin Templeton’s journey from hundreds of AI use cases to a focused set of transformation programs. He discusses the organizational challenges, the loss of short-term momentum, and the difficulty of committing to outcomes that cannot be fully defined upfront.
The discussion also explores how firms should rethink success metrics, moving beyond cost reduction and productivity toward customer value, growth, and long-term competitive advantage.
They examine the role of data foundations, governance, and culture in enabling AI at scale, and debate whether the next wave of innovation will come from AI-native fintechs or incumbents that successfully unlock the intelligence within their own systems.
This episode is a must-listen for leaders looking to move beyond proofs of concept and build AI-driven businesses that create durable value.
Spearkers info
Alyson Clarke helps financial services leaders understand and prepare for the future. She is a highly skilled expert with extensive industry experience in both banking and wealth management. Alyson has global expertise, having worked in Sydney, London, San Francisco, and now New York. She works closely with retail banking and other financial services executives to develop and execute on strategy, deliver superior customer experiences, and digitally accelerate their business. With more than 19 years of financial services industry experience, Alyson has held senior positions with several leading banks and wealth management firms. She has been quoted in many publications, including American Banker, Bloomberg, CNBC, The New York Times, and NPR. Alyson challenges thinking to help financial services firms drive change and generate new business propositions that create value for customers and shareholders.
Deep Srivastav is the Chief AI Officer, head of AI & digital transformation for Franklin Templeton. He is responsible for AI research and innovation, for managing the firm's AI driven digital platform and for driving digital transformation for the enterprise and clients.
In his prior role, he drove the development and deployment of Franklin Templeton's investment solutions through digital channels. He oversaw the digital product roadmap bringing personalized investment solutions to market. These solutions won the Barron's/MMI Industry Disruptor Award in 2021.
Mr. Srivastav is the co-author of "A New Approach to Goals Based Wealth Management", which was published in the Journal of Investment Management and won the Harry M. Markowitz Award in 2018. He is the recipient of "Innovator of the Year" award by WealthTech Americas for 2023. Mr. Srivastav holds a bachelor of engineering in electronics from The M.S. University of Baroda in India and an MBA with a focus in quantitative research and marketing from Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.
