Navigating a Complex Regulatory Landscape

The current regulatory environment presents multiple challenges simultaneously. “Companies are trying to figure out what to do. You can’t look at things in just one cylinder. You’ve got to look at tax, law, inflation, and interest rates,” Elon explains.

This interconnected complexity means that tax decisions can’t be made in isolation. “You could save money on a big deduction, but if the interest rates are lower, you might be better off investing that money elsewhere.”

Global Tax Reforms (OECD Pillar Two, BEPS 2.0) have forced companies to shift their focus from planning to compliance and transparency. Companies must invest in data quality, systems integration, and process controls. There is an increasing emphasis on scenario modeling rather than tax optimization.

Areas of highest regulatory scrutiny:

• Transfer pricing (intercompany financing, services, IP).
• Indirect taxes (VAT, sales/use tax audits).
• R&D credits and incentives.
• Pillar Two-related disclosures in financial statements.

One of the most pressing operational challenges Elon identifies is treasury management in the current economic environment. “Over the last few years, we’ve definitely seen a lot of struggles in Treasury with cash flow. It’s been very stressful for Treasury departments, leaders, and CFOs.”

The technical complexity of cash management often surprises organizations: “One of the biggest problems we see is that clients have cash on hand at the company, but they don’t have it in the right legal entity or right place to make simple things like payroll.”

Tremendous ROI From Tax Digitization and Transformation

Tax strategy is evolving from a compliance-focused function to a dynamic, technology-enabled discipline that requires continuous innovation within the constraints of regulatory requirements.

“Many tax solutions still sit outside ERP. Integration of tax tech with ERP is key,” said Elon. “Leading companies are pushing for embedded tax logic.”

Data analytics in tax enable companies to transition from reactive compliance to proactive advisory services. Improved visibility for CFOs and for Boards is enabled by dashboards that link effective tax rate, cash tax, and business metrics.

Elon notes huge ROI from tax transformation efforts, including:

• Indirect tax automation (compliance savings + audit defense).
• Provision process acceleration (close faster, reduce manual errors).
• Data governance improvements that benefit finance beyond tax.

The Talent Shortage Crisis in Tax

A pressing challenge facing the tax profession is a severe talent shortage.

The barrier to entry is high, but the early financial rewards don’t match the investment. “It’s really years eight to ten before you’re making decent money,” he adds. This creates a challenging proposition for young professionals considering tax careers, particularly when other fields offer faster returns on educational investment.

However, the long-term potential is significant. “I know plenty of CPAs and tax advisors who make a lot more than doctors today. They make so much money because the strategies they’re bringing to their companies could save billions.”

Elon notes that the tax profession benefits from younger people. They bring a fresh perspective to problem-solving: “For generations, people would sit down and ask, ‘How do we do this?’—and then follow the same process as the year before. But today, these young professionals look at it and say, ‘Wait, that doesn’t make sense. That’s too slow. I’ve got a better way.’ The new talent is much better than we were when we started. They’re much more tech savvy and have a much different approach,” noted Elon. “It is legal to avoid tax. It’s not legal to evade it. The creativity involved in this process is substantial.”

Looking Ahead: Three Priorities for Tax Leaders

The organizations that succeed will be those who can attract top talent, leverage technology effectively, and maintain the agility to adapt to constant regulatory change while delivering substantial business value.

If you’re leading tax strategy in a complex regulatory environment and need partners who understand both the technical requirements and the strategic opportunities—let’s talk.

Advice to Leaders: Lead from the Front

What’s the one thing Pat wants every leader to do?

“Get out of your office and talk to people,” she says. “Be honest. Be empathetic. People want to know where they fit and how they can succeed. That’s your job—to make that clear and lead from the front.”

The Bottom Line

Change management isn’t a soft skill—it’s a strategic capability. When done well, it accelerates value, minimizes risk, and builds resilient, future-ready organizations.

As Pat puts it:
“Technology gets the headlines. But people determine the outcome.”

Technology Exists, but the “People Side” of Adoption Is the Real Challenge

The tools are there—cloud-based platforms, automation software, AI-ready systems—but many firms aren’t using them optimally. Take close optimization platforms like BlackLine, for example – we’ve seen a number of companies that are using them as expensive repositories rather than transformation engines. The gap isn’t solely technological; it’s in change management, training, and helping people understand that these tools can actually make their jobs better, not just different.

Staff Augmentation Is the Gateway to Strategic Transformation

What makes RGP’s approach different is that we don’t see staffing and consulting as separate offerings—they’re part of the same journey. We start by meeting clients where they are, often providing skilled accountants to solve immediate problems. But our people bring industry experience and a consultative mindset that naturally evolves into strategic partnerships. As Andy shared about his partnership with a leading insurance provider, “We started as a staff augmentation provider, and we finished as a trusted consulting partner.”

The Bottom Line

Finance can position itself to lead an organization into the next era of the digital age – but do to so, they need to invest now. With the rate of change that’s coming, falling behind may not just mean that you’ll struggle to catch up; it may mean you won’t finish the race at all. The organizations that invest now in both people and processes will find themselves with a significant advantage when the next wave of innovation arrives.

If you’re ready to move beyond the perpetual close and build finance operations that truly support business growth—we’d love to talk. 

AI Is Compressing the Technology Decision Cycle

The rapid pace of AI development is compounding this pressure. What used to be long-term platform decisions are now being upended by weekly breakthroughs in AI capabilities.

“You start with one platform and one model, and three weeks later there’s something three times better,” Woody notes. “It’s learning off itself. That kind of velocity breaks traditional planning cycles.”

Organizations that can’t keep up with this pace—either because of their tech stack or their operating model—will be left behind. The shift toward composable and AI-native platforms is becoming not just an option, but a necessity.

Employee Experience Is Becoming the Driver of Change

While customer experience still garners much of the spotlight, Woody sees employee experience (EX) emerging as the more urgent transformation imperative.

“Since COVID, employee expectations have skyrocketed. They want the same level of personalization, intelligence, and seamless experience they get as consumers.”

Employees are no longer willing to jump between 12 different systems to get what they need. They expect tailored content, intelligent delivery, and platforms that anticipate their needs—not just support their tasks.

Organizations that can meet these expectations internally will be better positioned to compete externally. In many cases, EX transformation is leapfrogging CX innovation.

The Bottom Line

The digital experience landscape isn’t just evolving—it’s being disrupted. AI acceleration, rising employee expectations, and the limits of monolithic legacy platforms are converging to force a rethinking of how organizations engage, both inside and out.

The winners will be those who embrace composable, AI-enabled solutions—while building the cross-functional agility to turn those capabilities into meaningful outcomes.

If you’re ready to break free from platform fatigue and reimagine your digital experience strategy—let’s talk.

Without a Great Employee Experience, You Can’t Deliver a Great Customer Experience

The connection between employee and customer experience is now measurable—and undeniable.

“If someone doesn’t have the right tools or support internally, how can they deliver a great experience externally?” Terry asks. “Just like a carpenter needs a sharp saw to build a cabinet, employees need well-designed tools to deliver value.”

The ROI may not show up overnight as a 20% revenue spike—but the long-term impact is real. As Terry puts it:

“It’s like taking your multivitamins. You won’t notice the benefit immediately, but over time, everything works better.”

Organizations that invest in thoughtful experience design consistently see improvements in engagement, retention, and operational efficiency.

Service Design Isn’t Just for Customers—It Applies to Every Process

Terry’s team brings service design methodology far beyond traditional brand or marketing applications.

“Any business process—whether it’s finance, healthcare, claims, or provider relations—can be redesigned through a human-centered lens.”

The approach starts with personas: Who are the key actors in the ecosystem? What are their goals, pain points, and interactions? From there, the team maps the journey—what people are thinking, feeling, saying, and doing at each step.

This methodology uncovers both friction points and missed opportunities, directing focus to where it will have the greatest impact.

AI Is Accelerating—But Human-Centered Design Still Leads

Even in an AI-driven world, the fundamentals of experience design haven’t changed.

“AI should be helpful and supportive—not take over,” Terry explains.

The design principles remain the same: give users control, visibility, clarity, and safety. Provide undo buttons. Organize content intuitively. Maintain hierarchy and coherence. AI should simplify, not complicate.

At its core, Terry says, “AI is just a bigger, smarter version of search—we’re just making it cooler. The goal is still the same: serve the human.”

The Bottom Line

In a world where access to tools and data is ubiquitous, competitive advantage comes from how thoughtfully you design the intersection of people, process, and technology. The future belongs to organizations that prioritize employee experience—not just as an HR initiative, but as a core business strategy.

If you’re ready to place human experience at the center of your transformation—let’s talk.

AI Won’t Replace Senior Experts—It Will Elevate Them

Despite fears of AI displacing jobs, Stephen sees a different picture:

“Every output from a GenAI model today still needs a human expert—someone who understands the domain—to validate, correct, and apply the results.”

While AI will automate routine tasks, it enhances the value of seasoned practitioners who can bring context, judgment, and credibility to the table. In essence, AI becomes a force multiplier—not a replacement—for senior expertise.

Regulatory Complexity Is the Next Big Barrier

“If you’re operating in Europe under the EU AI Act and also in the U.S. under a different regulatory landscape, what’s your global policy? Do you adopt the highest standard across the board?”

As regulatory frameworks diverge globally, financial services firms face difficult decisions. Should they apply a high-water mark standard globally? Or attempt to tailor compliance region by region? Navigating these questions requires a blend of legal, operational, and strategic insight—making regulatory-aware innovation an imperative.

AI Brings a New Cost Discipline for CFOs

AI adoption isn’t just a technical or regulatory challenge—it’s a financial one.

“Smart organizations will need strategies to manage AI-related costs while maximizing ROI,” Stephen notes. “This is where practitioners with real-world experience have an edge over generalist consultants.”

From compute costs to implementation overhead, organizations will need clear value frameworks to make sustainable AI investments.

The Power of Practitioner-Led Consulting

Stephen is a strong advocate for “CIO practitioner consulting”—engagements led by people who have done the work themselves.

“You need people who deeply understand the industry and have sat in the chair. That’s what drives results.”

He recalls a multi-year engagement with a Tier 1 global bank that spanned AI innovation, mainframe decommissioning, and full-stack transformation. The reason it succeeded? The team was led by former CIOs who understood the client’s business, constraints, and technical reality from first-hand experience.

The Bottom Line

Transformation in financial services isn’t about adopting shiny new tools—it’s about making the right strategic choices, supported by people who’ve done the work before. The firms that win will be those who pair AI and data capabilities with practitioner expertise and domain fluency.

If you’re leading technology transformation in financial services and need partners who’ve walked in your shoes—let’s talk.

CHROs Are at the Center of a Workforce Revolution

The CHRO role is undergoing one of the most profound evolutions in decades. As employee expectations begin to mirror the seamless, AI-powered experiences they get from Apple or Amazon, HR leaders are being challenged to deliver more—with less.

Routine HR interactions—from onboarding to benefits inquiries—are now ripe for automation. But the opportunity isn’t just operational—it’s strategic.

“How are we preparing employees for a world where their first point of contact is an AI chatbot—not a human?” Rory asks.

Strategic CHROs are asking bigger questions:

• How do we reskill and reframe work?
• How do we ensure clean, accessible data to support AI accuracy?
• What governance frameworks are required to manage AI in HR?

He draws a compelling parallel to the iPhone’s impact on the workplace. Once consumer tech leapfrogged corporate systems, employees started asking: Why do I have better tools at home than I do at work?

“Whether you’re at home or at work, you’re still a person. People now expect simple, instant answers—not SharePoint folders with 20,000 PDFs.”

The shift to agentic AI—intelligent systems that act independently—is widening the competitive gap. Organizations still relying on hallway conversations, spreadsheets, and sticky notes will be left behind by those embracing automated, scalable workflows.

The Fourth Business Imperative: Optionality in an Uncertain World

Boards have long focused on three imperatives: revenue growth, cost containment, and risk reduction. Rory argues for a fourth: optional execution paths.

“In a world of geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain disruption, and constant market volatility, the real edge is having multiple ways to run your business if Plan A falters.”

This level of agility demands real-time data, strong governance, and the ability to assess whether alternate strategies can be operationalized quickly.

ServiceNow as the Experience Layer for AI and Automation

Most organizations are still wrestling with fragmented data—finance in one place, HR in another, risk somewhere else. But business workflows don’t operate in silos.

“ServiceNow becomes the experience layer that ties it all together,” Rory explains. “It lets you orchestrate automation and AI on top of your business processes—no matter where the data lives.”

Take something as simple as a laptop: onboarding, cybersecurity, finance, and risk teams all touch it. ServiceNow unites these perspectives, enabling a consistent, automated experience without needing to rebuild your entire IT infrastructure.

RGP’s Edge: Deep Technical Skill + Human-Centered Design

Not only do we bring great technology depth, RGP also brings the people and process depth. Together, we can engage across the enterprise—from the boardroom to the service desk.

This holistic approach empowers clients to connect enterprise automation strategy with the human experience—from CFOs and supply chain leaders to CHROs and heads of customer service.

In fact, Rory’s team recently won ServiceNow’s global AI demo championship for the APAC region at Knowledge 25 in Las Vegas—recognition for their practical, scalable AI automation framework.

The Opportunity Is Exponential

The pace of change is accelerating beyond traditional planning horizons.

“Ten years ago, a five-year plan was a stable roadmap. Today? You could 10X or 100X that pace—and not feel ridiculous saying so.”

The organizations that embrace this acceleration—and bring their people along for the ride—will outperform those who cling to old models. The key is staying focused on your vision while remaining flexible enough to seize emerging opportunities.

The Bottom Line

The automation revolution is redefining what’s possible—and what’s expected. It’s not just about doing more with less. It’s about expanding optionality, enhancing decision-making, and reimagining how work gets done.

If you’re ready to build organizational agility through automation and AI—let’s talk.

The International Dichotomy Creates Impossible Choices for Global Banks.

For institutions operating internationally, 2025 presents an unprecedented challenge. While the U.S. moves toward deregulation, “the regulations in Europe are getting far, far, far more stringent.” This includes initiatives like the European Commission’s proposed Financial Data Access Regulation (FiDA), the EU AI Act and other regulatory frameworks that are tightening rather than loosening.

Richard paints a striking picture: “You’re sort of straddling two very different worlds right now, right? One in which there’s massive deregulation and one in which things are getting much, much, more challenging.” For global financial institutions, this creates operational complexity that demands sophisticated risk management strategies.

“Hong Kong is still on the bleeding edge. Singapore is still on the bleeding edge. Europe is still following them.” In 2018 for instance, the Monetary Authority of Singapore released Principles to Promote Fairness, Ethics, Accountability and Transparency (FEAT) in the Use of Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics. Three years later US regulators released a RFI on banks’ use of AI. This was meant to lay the groundwork for future rule-making that is still pending.

This regulatory leadership from Asia-Pacific markets provides a glimpse into the future. As Richard observes, “It begins with the Hong Kong or Singapore and makes its way to Europe and then it would typically make its way to the US.” The current U.S. divergence from this pattern may not be sustainable.

When the Rules Are Uncertain, Go Back to Your Core: Risk Appetite

In this environment of regulatory confusion, Richard advocates focusing on fundamentals: “Forget the rules, forget the regs. Do you have the right thresholds set across all of your risk stripes? And are you confident that the risk data feeding your risk appetite is comprehensive, accurate, timely?”

A risk appetite isn’t just a single metric—it’s an entire framework encompassing market risk, liquidity risk, interest rate risk, operational risk, strategic and compliance risk. As Richard explains, “There are thresholds that are established by the executive team, approved by the board, and those thresholds cannot be breached.” Creating and maintaining this framework “takes months” and requires “a small army of people,” but it serves as the foundation for all risk decisions.

As we look ahead, the risk management landscape will be defined by three key realities:

The Bottom Line

The financial services industry isn’t just adapting to change—it’s learning to thrive in permanent uncertainty, where the only constant is regulatory flux.

If you’re navigating these complex waters and need a partner who understands both the regulatory landscape and the data beneath it—let’s talk.

Procurement Isn’t Just About Savings—It’s About Influence and Momentum

The most successful procurement functions understand that their real value comes through influence, not authority. As Jessica explained, “Procurement gets done through influence, not through authority. So that influence means you have to have the soft skills to engage with stakeholders and show them what good looks like.” It’s about building internal credibility one successful project at a time, demonstrating tangible value that creates momentum for bigger transformations.

AI and Automation Potential Is Real, but Data and Process Fundamentals Come First

While McKinsey claims 80% of procurement activities can be automated, Jessica sees organizations struggling with the basics: “For that to work, our data has to be clean, we have to have user adoption, and we really need to focus on getting more into the system.” The companies making real progress aren’t chasing the latest AI headlines—they’re investing in data quality, process standardization, and change management.

Leading Procurement Organizations Are Moving Beyond Three-Way Matching

Supply chain organizations are still stuck in outdated processes designed for a different era. The future isn’t about faster invoice processing—it’s about eliminating invoices altogether. “Just acknowledge that you received it and that should initiate a payment. You can move away from this three-way match concept,” Jessica shared. This requires clean data, connected technologies, and trusted supplier relationships.

The Bottom Line

Supply chain and procurement aren’t just supporting functions—they’re becoming sources of competitive advantage. The organizations that emerge stronger will be those that balance efficiency with resilience, leverage technology thoughtfully, and build the internal capabilities to adapt quickly to whatever comes next.

If you’re ready to move beyond crisis management and build supply chain capabilities that drive lasting value—we’d love to talk.

The New Core Skill: People Collaborating with AI Will Surpass Those Who Don’t

This isn’t about mass replacement, but a fundamental evolution of roles. The individuals who embrace AI as a collaborator will become exponentially more effective, naturally outpacing those who resist the shift.

Rahul’s team has already operationalized this insight: “We now test prompting skills alongside coding skills. The ability to break down complex problems and guide AI to solve them is as fundamental as technical knowledge.”

This shift isn’t theoretical—it’s shaping hiring practices today. The new standard isn’t ”Can you code?” It’s ”Can you collaborate with AI to solve real problems?”

C-Suite Communication Will Make or Break AI Adoption

AI adoption isn’t just a tech shift—it’s a cultural one. And without clear leadership, resistance will kill momentum before it starts.

“People are asking, ‘Is this going to automate my job? What happens to me?’”

That’s why executive sponsorship and transparent communication are non-negotiable. Leaders must clearly articulate how AI will augment, not eliminate, roles—and create structured pathways for employees to evolve alongside new technologies.

“This isn’t just about automation,” Rahul emphasizes.

AI Has Transformed Workflow Automation into Intelligence Amplification

The focus of workflow automation is shifting—from digitizing routine tasks to embedding intelligence directly into everyday operations.

Our practice has moved beyond manual process automation to AI-powered workflows that make autonomous decisions. From classifying and assigning tickets to conversational AI agents that proactively reach out to gather missing data, the game has changed.

“This is no longer about efficiency alone. It’s about amplifying intelligence across the enterprise,” Rahul explains. “For instance, instead of an IT agent manually triaging support tickets, our AI workflows now instantly analyze, classify, and route 70% of incoming requests, and can even autonomously resolve common issues like password resets without any human intervention.”

The Bottom Line

The AI revolution in workforce automation isn’t coming—it’s already here. The real question is whether your organization is prepared to lead, or if you’ll be left behind by faster, more agile competitors.

If you’re ready to accelerate your AI-powered automation journey and build the organizational agility to thrive in this new environment—let’s talk.