SBS to Host UK Banking, Building Society and Asset Finance Leaders at Connect London 2026

The flagship event will gather 200+ industry executives to shape the future of AI-driven transformation across retail banking and specialized finance

SBS, the global financial technology company that more than 1,500 financial institutions rely on to digitally transform the way they operate, is hosting its Flagship Connect London event for a second consecutive year. SBS Connect London 2026 will gather more than 200 senior leaders and decision-makers across the retail banking, building society, auto finance and asset finance industries for keynotes, expert-led panels, customer case studies and curated networking under the central theme “Shaping the Future of Digital Finance.”

Across these financial sectors, AI is rapidly reshaping how institutions modernize their operations and meet rising customer expectations. Today, 75% of UK financial firms are already using AI, up from 58% just two years earlier. With adoption now mainstream, the challenge has shifted to scaling these technologies safely while reimagining the customer experience. Connect London 2026 will bring C-suite executives and industry stakeholders together to share what’s working and define what comes next.

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The agenda is built around two specialist content tracks, one focused on Retail Banking & Building Societies, the other on Specialized Auto & Asset Finance. The day will open with Henry Coutinho-Mason, a keynote speaker and author specializing in AI and innovation, delivering the event’s interactive keynote, “The Future Normal: Designing a People-First AI Strategy.” Coutinho-Mason will draw on three provocations from outside financial services to help attendees understand how to redesign their organizations from the inside out with AI. Additional keynotes will be delivered by Dharmesh Mistry, founder of Vision 20 20 Consulting; Ian Plummer, Chief Customer Officer at Autotrader UK; and Eric Bierry, CEO of SBS.

The two tracks include:
– The Retail Banking & Building Societies track will explore how UK financial institutions are scaling AI safely and redefining the future of branches and human advice. Featured speakers include Paul Denton, CEO of Scottish Building Society; Alun Williams, CEO of Swansea Building Society; Maria Harris, Chair of the Open Property Data Association; and Ben Lillywhite of Nationwide, the UK’s largest building society.
– The Specialized Auto & Asset Finance track will tackle the AI-driven reinvention of dealerships and experience-led operations across the lending lifecycle. Featured speakers include Markus Collet, Partner at CVA; James Baggott, founder of Car Dealer Magazine and CEO of Baize Group; Joern Everhard, Managing Director of Bank 11; and Andrew Kilheeney, Managing Director of Lombard, Wholesale and Specialist Businesses.

“Banks, building societies and asset finance providers are all navigating the same fundamental shift as AI impacts the core of how the industry operates,” said Richard Broadbent, Head of Growth, UK and Ireland at SBS. “The institutions that win won’t be the ones driving small-scale efficiency with AI; they’ll be the ones building their operating model around it. At Connect London 2026, we’re creating a space for the UK’s top financial leaders to challenge each other’s thinking, share what’s working and shape what comes next.”

Set to take place on June 16, 2026, at 88 Wood Street in the heart of London’s financial district, the event will also give attendees the opportunity to continue the conversation into the evening at a networking reception featuring food, drinks and live entertainment.

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