OpenText & Cognizant: Reimagining Financial Services With AI

On the 29th January 2026, OpenText and Cognizant are bringing together some of the banking sector’s most senior technology leaders for a private roundtable at one of New York’s more exclusive venues: the Blue Box Café at Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue flagship.

The invitation-only event gathers chief information officers (CIOs), chief technology officers (CTOs) and chief marketing officers (CMOs) to hash out how AI is reshaping financial services for strong enterprise AI strategies going into 2026.

It’s the kind of setting where executives can speak candidly about implementation challenges – and the organisers are keeping attendance deliberately small to maintain that intimacy.

The timing shows where the industry is.

Recent research in the US shows AI has shifted from experimental to strategic priority for most financial services executives, with enterprise adoption accelerating faster than many predicted even a year ago. 

The question now isn’t whether to deploy AI, but how to do it responsibly in an environment where regulatory scrutiny is intense and the stakes are high.

How AI in financial services moves from theory to practice

The morning session tackles the areas where AI is already making a difference: risk and compliance functions, customer communications, enterprise content management and operational efficiency. 

Conversations will focus on what’s actually working rather than what might work – with participants sharing real deployments and the frameworks they’ve built for secure implementation.

It is no secret that banks are under pressure from multiple directions.

This is why operations need streamlining, regulators expect more and customers want better experiences. 

AI touches all three, from automated document processing that cuts through paperwork backlogs to predictive insights that help risk teams spot problems earlier. 

Many institutions are now experimenting with Gen AI while simultaneously trying to work out the guardrails needed to manage the technology’s risks.

That’s where the roundtable format earns its keep. 

Peer-level exchange on what’s working in practice can be hard to come by at larger conferences.

Here, executives can compare notes on the messy reality of AI adoption, discussing practical steps for responsible deployment in areas where the technology is genuinely gaining traction.

Three hours at Tiffany’s, breakfast included

The event kicks off at 10:00 with breakfast prepared by Daniel Boulud, whose Blue Box Café menu puts a European spin on American classics. 

OpenText and Cognizant open proceedings at 10:30, followed by a presentation on AI’s impact on financial services at 10:40. 

A moderated networking discussion starts at 11:20, before closing remarks and peer exchange at 11:50. The whole thing wraps by 13:00.

OpenText provides enterprise content management and information management software to financial institutions – while Cognizant works with banks on digital transformation projects. 

Both companies have skin in the game when it comes to how AI gets deployed in highly regulated environments.

The agenda balances structured content with room to breathe. 

Executives will get formal presentations, but also time for the kind of off-the-record conversations that tend to be more valuable. 

Attendees receive a summary afterwards, though what gets said in the room stays appropriately vague.

How to join the discussion in New York

Attendance is restricted to senior leaders from banks, financial institutions and insurance organisations who are actually involved in AI strategy, digital transformation, compliance, operations or customer communications. 

The organisers review applications to ensure everyone in the room is there for the right reasons. 

There’s no cost to attend for approved guests.

Registration runs through BizClik’s FinTech Magazine events platform, though spaces are limited by design. 

Tiffany’s Blue Box Café sits on the fourth floor of the retailer’s Fifth Avenue flagship with views over Central Park. 

Topics on the table include enterprise content management AI applications, Gen AI deployment in customer-facing systems – and automation strategies that balance innovation against regulatory compliance. 

Registration remains open while spaces last, though given the seniority requirements and limited capacity, interested executives should move quickly.

Register your interest here.