Market View
Navigating AI transformation at scale: how global service providers are reimagining value creation
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Jessica Samadi
Director of Operations
About Jessica Samadi
Jessica Samadi serves as Director of Operations at a global financial services company, overseeing corporate services, trust services and fund administration. A qualified professional holding CPA and MBA credentials, along with Accredited Director certification from The Chartered Governance Institute of Canada, Jessica brings extensive experience in accounting and operations. Based in George Town, Cayman Islands, she plays a pivotal role in driving operational excellence and integration initiatives while maintaining strong client relationships and ensuring regulatory compliance.
How are you seeing firms in your sector approaching the integration of AI capabilities within their service delivery model?
Companies are taking a measured, strategic approach to AI implementation across their global operations. One of the key initiatives I’ve seen is the development of in-house platforms that provide real-time monitoring and comprehensive audit trails, ensuring robust governance practices throughout the organisation. I’ve also been involved in pilot programmes, such as Microsoft's Edge integrated Co-pilot AI, which was rolled out to specific team members across different offices. This careful approach allows companies to thoroughly evaluate and refine solutions before broader deployment, ensuring they meet high standards for service delivery. Through the pilot programmes, you’re able to gather valuable feedback from users and make necessary adjustments before implementing solutions at scale, which is particularly important when you have a presence in various jurisdictions and a diverse range of services.
Understanding those local regulations, the cultural nuances, and even the market dynamics, we do to ensure that our AI solutions are relevant and effective.
What specific opportunities have you identified for AI implementation in your operations?
In our sector, particularly within corporate services in the Cayman Islands, I’ve identified several areas where AI can create significant value. One key opportunity lies in automating registered office documentation processes. Currently, handling requests for certificates of incumbency and good standing involves considerable manual work despite being high-volume, routine tasks. There is also room for enhancing financial operations through AI-driven automation of accounts payable and receivable processes, with a focus on creating more personalised client communications. Instead of generic automated emails from no-reply addresses, exploring ways to use AI to craft more tailored, personalized communications that resonate better with clients. Additionally, it’s worth exploring chatbot implementation to handle basic regulatory and deadline-related queries, which would significantly improve response times for routine client inquiries. I’ve found that many client questions revolve around regulatory deadlines and annual planning requirements – areas where AI could provide immediate, accurate responses while freeing up staff to focus on more complex client needs.
How do you maintain consistency in AI implementation across different jurisdictions?
Developing a standardised framework for AI implementation that can be adapted to different offices whilst maintaining core consistency is key. However, we have to recognise that what works in one jurisdiction might not be suitable or even legal in another. Understanding this, we have to put significant emphasis on localisation and customisation. We carefully consider local regulations, cultural nuances, and market dynamics when implementing AI solutions. For instance, in a Cayman office, we often need to 'Caymanize' group-level initiatives to meet specific regulatory requirements. This balance between global standardisation and local adaptation is crucial for ensuring our AI solutions remain both relevant and effective across all markets. This approach includes regular evaluation of implementation effectiveness through data collection before and after deploying AI initiatives, allowing us to make informed decisions about necessary adjustments for each jurisdiction while maintaining our global service standards.
If service providers really get it right when it comes to what tasks they can automate that are just routine, repetitive tasks, that's really going to be where they can bring the most value to their customers.
What challenges have you encountered in implementing AI initiatives, and how are you addressing them?
The primary challenges we face revolve around technology integration and comprehensive staff training. Ensuring seamless integration and consistent service delivery requires robust IT systems and support, which can be resource-intensive. More importantly, the effectiveness of any technology implementation depends heavily on proper staff training. With a global presence and varying levels of expertise across offices, providing adequate training to ensure proper utilisation of new systems can be particularly challenging. To address this, implementing regular monthly meetings with teams to identify pain points and training needs are useful. Maintaining continuous monitoring and feedback loops, regularly evaluating the performance of the AI initiatives and gathering stakeholder input to optimise our approach also greatly assists. Through pilot programmes, we're learning valuable lessons about user adoption and training requirements, which will inform our broader rollout strategies. One key insight has been the importance of role-specific training, as different team members interact with AI tools in distinct ways depending on their responsibilities.
How do you see the relationship between technology and value creation evolving in the future?
I believe technology will continue to drive operational efficiency and innovation in our industry. By automating routine tasks, we can redirect our focus towards more strategic, value-added activities that enhance service quality. The integration of advanced technologies like AI and machine learning will enable more personalised service offerings through data-driven insights, allowing us to better understand and respond to client needs. While I maintain some reservations about certain applications like chatbots, I see significant potential in their ability to provide immediate responses to straightforward queries. Through tools like Power BI, we're already seeing the benefits of enhanced analytics and reporting capabilities, which help us make more informed decisions and provide better service to our clients. The key lies in implementing these technologies thoughtfully, with adequate staff training, to drive innovation, efficiency, and client satisfaction. Looking ahead, I anticipate that service providers who successfully blend technology with human expertise will be best positioned to deliver exceptional value to their clients.
Looking ahead, I anticipate that service providers who successfully blend technology with human expertise will be best positioned to deliver exceptional value to their clients.
About ZEDRA Group
ZEDRA Group is a global specialist in trust, corporate and fund services, operating across more than 25 jurisdictions worldwide. Established in 2016 through the acquisition of Barclays Private Bank's trust business, ZEDRA has grown through strategic acquisitions and organic expansion to serve a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, institutional investors and corporations. The firm's comprehensive service offering encompasses active wealth management, fund administration, corporate services and pension solutions.
About Enate
Enate is the leading SaaS solution for business services. Enate orchestrates work from start to finish, giving clients the visibility and control needed to deliver better services. From email management and data analysis to intelligent document processing, Enate also offers a host of touch-button AI features designed to slash the time spent on manual work. Trusted by global service teams, Enate ensures smooth, consistent operations that help clients perform at their best.