Rob Thickett, Digital Policy Manager, Building Societies Association

We will open the day by setting out why members are coming together now and what we want the symposium to achieve. The welcome will introduce the three themes — adapt, share and thrive — and the questions that will guide the day. 

Technology, competition and member needs are changing at pace. This scene-setting session will examine the shifts already affecting financial services and the choices they create for mutuals: where to invest, where to work with others and how to protect the features members value.

What would it mean to build an AI-enabled society around mutual values? This session will explore how AI could support fairer decisions, more flexible products and trusted help for members with complex needs, while keeping human judgement for major life events. It will also consider how societies stay visible when AI agents guide financial choices, make member value clear to people and machines, and decide what to build, buy or share. 

AI is already part of how firms serve members, support staff and manage risk. This panel will share how societies are using it now, how they choose and oversee uses, and how they set controls around data, decisions and accountability. It will discuss the effect on the workforce, member and broker expectations, fraud and cyber risk, and the need to include people who rely on branches, passbooks or human support. Panellists will also consider where people must stay involved and what they have learnt from putting AI into use. 

Building societies will share direct accounts of change from within their firms. Panellists will discuss what they set out to do, the barriers and setbacks they faced, what worked in practice and what they would do differently. The session will give delegates useful lessons to take back to their own teams. 

The FCA will present on innovation, the tools it has available to help firms scale and how the sector can be more resilient.
 

Where could societies achieve more by working together? This panel will test the case for sharing cost, skills, services or common solutions, as well as the barriers that have kept firms working alone. It will also ask what should remain distinct and what role members want the BSA to play in supporting joint work.

The closing session will draw together the strongest ideas from the day. Delegates will help identify the issues that need more debate, the areas where members want to share learning and the possible topics for joint work after the symposium. 

Stay for informal drinks, continue the discussion, and connect with colleagues from across the sector. 

(* Programme subject to change)