Maximising business value with artificial intelligence: From strategy to execution
Abstract
As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly becomes a strategic foundation for modern organisations, the focus is shifting from experimentation to value realisation. This paper presents a practical framework for aligning generative AI (GenAI) strategy with business objectives to deliver measurable impact. The alignment process begins with defining a clear purpose statement and measurable key performance indicators that translate the AI vision into actionable outcomes across efficiency, customer experience, revenue growth, risk mitigation and innovation. The paper emphasises embedding ethical safeguards — such as regulatory compliance, transparency and bias mitigation — early in the strategy to ensure trustworthy and responsible AI deployment. The paper explores strategic decisions regarding build versus buy, and centralised versus decentralised innovation models in order to guide capability development and organisational design. Execution bridges strategy and operations through a hybrid approach combining traditional project management disciplines — such as structured governance, risk control and milestone-based tracking — with agile methodologies focused on flexibility, iterative development and continuous stakeholder feedback. This combination ensures disciplined delivery while allowing adaptive responses to rapidly changing AI opportunities and challenges. The paper highlights essential roles and enterprise-wide AI training as crucial enablers of successful adoption. Cultural transformation is positioned as crucial, with AI literacy and prompt engineering skills embedded across the workforce to empower innovation and support continuous improvement. The framework encourages the development of internal champions and success stories to foster sustained engagement and momentum. Finally, the paper provides actionable insights for banking leaders seeking to operationalise AI at scale, integrate it into the central business and establish AI as a transformative lever for long-term competitive advantage. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Julie Chatterjee is the CEO of Northmill, a Stockholm-based FinTech bank. Northmill has twice been recognised by the Financial Times as one of Europe’s fastest growing companies. Julie’s career includes leadership roles in banking and FinTech across the Nordics, Germany and the Baltics. She previously served as CEO of OKQ8 Bank and, most recently, held dual roles within Multitude Group, listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. There she served both as CCO and deputy CEO of Multitude Bank and head of SweepBank, with a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence and machine learning innovations. In all these positions, she has built a solid track record of driving profitable growth. Holding a master’s in engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Julie is passionate about technology, inspired by the world’s most seamless customer experiences, and committed to supporting female leaders and entrepreneurs. As a leader in the banking and FinTech sectors, she values inclusivity and collective intelligence as part of her approach to align teams towards a shared vision and delivering ambitious outcomes.
