Be transformative: human-led, tech-powered

Christian Eistrup

AI Inspiration- & Change-Driver, Chief Digital Office, PwC Tax

‘In the fast-changing world of tech and data, being a community of solvers means asking more questions before delivering answers. If you put a bunch of smart people in a room with enough different backgrounds, as we do at PwC, that will happen: an initial question will lead to deeper ones, opening up a broader range of possible directions.

We’re early movers on GenAI. Our Client 0.0 strategy means we started exploring AI before we knew what it would yield. Beyond the obvious use cases – such as AI-generated summaries, meeting notes or content structures – there are many unanswered questions and dilemmas. How will it affect productivity and jobs, or our market positioning? How will we keep up? If our reason for being is to build trust by delivering reliable knowledge, what will happen as we start relying on AI for knowledge sharing? 

In my role, I am responsible for rolling out AI internally, and enabling colleagues to understand what it is, how we can use it, and what new skill- and mindsets it calls for. It’s exciting, and as an AI driver, I want to move fast, to keep testing and implementing more new tools. But the questions weigh heavily on me too, along with the awareness of how important it is that we face them honestly, responsibly and inclusively. I face the dilemma daily.’

Beau Krempel

Digital Strategy Manager, Chief Digital Office, PwC Tax

‘What stands out to me at PwC is that everyone has the space to contribute ideas, regardless of their role or place in the hierarchy—truly a community of solvers. From that openness, combined with increasing interdisciplinarity, come some very unexpected solutions.

You also see that the range of skills and perspectives within teams is becoming broader. For example, we’ve started hiring more people with different profiles, such as those with a STEM background: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This diversification leads to deeper insights and sometimes results in project goals that go far beyond the initial objectives.

To ensure that teammates continue to speak the same language, we regularly check in with one another. This requires you to be able to take others along in your thought process—and to let yourself be guided by someone who follows a completely different line of thinking. In my role, that’s important too; I often see myself as the connecting factor within projects.

By constantly connecting with others, you continue to make new discoveries. It's a form of upskilling that we also apply in our interactions with clients—and it never stops.’

Guru Jeyachandran

Director, Financial Sector Operations Consulting Team, PwC Advisory

‘The profiles of our clients have become much more complex in recent years. No single team can solve the questions they face. A client question may be technical on the surface, but will almost invariably also involve strategy, regulation, operations, design, innovation, external alliances, different skill sets, even different geographies. In PwC’s community of solvers, all of that comes together.

Part of our job is to help customers manage complexity and change. Since the 2008 financial crisis, banks have embraced new technology at a high pace. Staffing profile illustrate this: before, a majority of new hires typically came from the world’s top business schools; in recent years, a much larger proportion are scientists in data, AI, machine learning. Technology has tremendous capabilities to personalize experience, reduce the cost to serve,  augment quality and reduce repetitive manual work. At PwC, it helps us to help our clients to help their customers faster and more precisely.

When we work with clients, we’re working with people. Our clients want us to spend time with them and with their stakeholders, to guide them through change. The financial service providers who stand out in tomorrow’s world will be those who combine good technology with the very human ingenuity & ability to navigate complexity in nimble ways.’ 

Mimoent Haddouti

Partner and Financial Sector Lead, Cyber, Forensics & Privacy, PwC Advisory

‘Being a community of solvers requires a willingness to look beyond your own bubble. It means recognizing the question behind the question, whether in the context of a client organization or society at large. It’s a key part of our work: responding effectively to questions that keep changing, that touch on every area of expertise we have, and to which each individual brings their own context and experience.

As an expert, you can be really passionate about your area of focus. The challenge is to take a broader perspective. Often, the solution to a client's question is not a point solution, but part of a larger whole. A cyber solution, for example, can also impact culture, leadership, processes, governance, or technology.

Our 'human-led, tech-powered' approach deliberately connects technology with people. In my view, there’s no other way. It’s about leveraging technological possibilities through what makes us human: diversity, care, empathy, and understanding. When we combine the best of both worlds, we achieve our greatest successes. I love working in that intersection. On the one hand, that means being an enabler, helping clients to perform better, or to become more future-proof with the aid of technology. On the other hand, it means giving deliberate attention to safety and to the human journey within the organization and in the workplace.’

Merel Klok

AI Consultant, Data & Artificial Intelligence Team, PwC Assurance

‘What makes us a community of solvers is that our internal expertise is continually being enriched in our interaction with leading clients. Our expanding knowledge is constantly exposed to current practice, which enables us to offer cutting-edge advice.

In my role, I combine developing internal AI tools with 'Responsible AI'. I connect the excitement and opportunity-driven thinking of tech developers with our clients’ need for caution and safety. As a matter of fact, our clients tend to be more concerned about potential reputational damage from irresponsible use than about missing out on the latest technological advancement.

As an AI Consultant, I deal with a variety of client questions. Many organisations want guidance in exploring the technical and/or ethical dos and don'ts of a particular solution. I enjoy that; as a person, I love engaging in conversations to discover things together and to work towards new goals.

I’m optimistic about AI’s place in society, at least here in Europe: as Europeans, we encourage innovation, but never at the expense of the human dimension. The AI Act introduced by the European Union in June 2024 affirms that values like privacy and caution are deeply rooted in European culture. PwC’s 'human-led, tech-powered' approach protects and strengthens that culture. I consider it a privilege to have a part in that.’