Maya Mikhailov
CEO & Co-Founder Savvi AI
Maya Mikhailov is the CEO and cofounder of Savvi AI, a patented platform helping financial institutions deploy compliant, production-ready AI - without specialists or big-tech complexity. Her work focuses on closing the gap between AI ambition and real-world execution in regulated industries.
Previously, Maya co-founded GPShopper, a SaaS platform acquired by Synchrony (NYSE: SYF). She went on to serve as SVP and General Manager at Synchrony, where she built and led a new AI division inside a Fortune 500 financial institution, giving her rare, first-hand experience scaling AI from the inside.
Maya is a frequent speaker at global conferences, including CES, Money20/20, and Shop.org, and her insights on AI, fintech, and enterprise transformation have been featured in Bloomberg, The New York Times, Fortune, CNBC, and Business Insider. She also spent five years as an Adjunct Professor at NYU, teaching technology and applied innovation.
2026 Agenda Sessions
The great AI power struggle: The debate banks can't ignore
In this rapid-fire showdown, two industry heavyweights go head-to-head over the locus of control. Three bold claims. Three fierce rounds. One live audience calling the winner after each bell.
- Should banks build their own AI stack—or rent capabilities from vendors?
- Should business lines have the freedom to experiment—or be reined in under centralized command?
- Should the bank leverage third-party industry models—or lean heavily on their own proprietary data?
No sidestepping. No softball questions. Just a high-stakes debate over the power struggles shaping the use of AI in financial services.
Monday 30 March 16:15 - 16:55 The Pulse
AI & Agentic Systems
In this rapid-fire showdown, two industry heavyweights go head-to-head over the locus of control. Three bold claims. Three fierce rounds. One live audience calling the winner after each bell.
- Should banks build their own AI stack—or rent capabilities from vendors?
- Should business lines have the freedom to experiment—or be reined in under centralized command?
- Should the bank leverage third-party industry models—or lean heavily on their own proprietary data?
No sidestepping. No softball questions. Just a high-stakes debate over the power struggles shaping the use of AI in financial services.
The Pulse US/Pacific