The biggest names in financial services are descending on San Francisco. Here's where to be, what to skip, and why this one's actually worth your calendar.
by Kim Hatton *Get a financial services executive guide to Data + AI Summit 2026, including the most important banking, insurance, payments, and capital markets sessions to attend.
*Learn how leading organizations such as Morgan Stanley, JPMorganChase, Mastercard, RBC Capital Markets, and First American are approaching AI transformation, responsible AI, underwriting, and operational modernization.
*Discover practical strategies for maximizing summit value, from prioritizing executive forums and networking events to exploring AI use cases like the Agentic Banker and Virtual CFO.
Let's be honest: most industry conferences are a lot of badge-scanning and rubber chicken. Data + AI Summit is not that. This year, financial services has its own gravitational pull inside the event, with dedicated sessions, a lounge you'll actually want to hang out in, and a speaker list that reads like a who's who of firms quietly winning the AI race. Morgan Stanley, JPMorganChase, Mastercard, Santander Group, RBC Capital Markets, First American, Vantage Bank, and more are all here, and they're actually talking about the hard stuff.
Whether you're a CFO trying to modernize treasury or FP&A or a CEO looking for a sharper read on where the industry is heading, here's how to spend your week wisely.
Underwriting the Future* Tuesday, June 16 | 11:30 AM – 12:10 PM*
Insurance teams, circle this one. First American and American Modern Insurance Group show how proprietary data sharpens underwriting. Practical, specific, and rare on a conference agenda.
Scaling Responsible AI in Banking and Payments* Tuesday, June 16 | 1:50 PM – 2:30 PM*
Vantage Bank Texas, Santander, FIS, and Acxiom. This one cuts through the hype and gets into governance, growth, and making AI work at scale. Good for anyone whose job involves both ambition and accountability.
**THE MAIN EVENT | Financial Services Forum Wednesday, June 17 | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Marriott Marquis
This is the main event. Think executive firesides with leaders from Morgan Stanley, JPMorganChase, Mastercard, and RBC Capital Markets, the kind of candid conversation you don't get from a press release. Block it. Don't double-book it.
Delivering AI in Professional Services* Wednesday, June 17 | 3:00 PM – 3:40 PM*
EXL, Bain, and EY on scaling AI inside service-heavy organizations. If your firm sells expertise, this one will resonate.
The Alpha Advantage: Building the Intelligent Capital Markets Firm* Thursday, June 18 | 11:30 AM–12:10 PM*
LSEG and Franklin Templeton weigh in on what an AI-native capital markets operating model actually looks like. Worth the Thursday morning effort.
Browse 200+ financial services sessions here. The Financial Services Industry Lounge in the Moscone Expo is the hidden gem of the week. It's where demos live, Databricks experts roam, and the Agentic Banker and Virtual CFO use cases get real. Think of it less as a booth and more as a strategy pitstop, part hallway conversation, part proof-of-concept, part reality check on where the market is actually moving. Drop in between sessions. Stay longer than you planned.
Data + AI Summit isn't just about hearing what's next — it's also a chance to build skills through courses on AI Agents, Lakebase, Apps and more. Your opportunity to build skills. Training, hands-on labs, and certification sessions help attendees move from AI strategy to execution.
A good approach: let executives focus on industry insights while technical teams attend training. You'll leave with both the vision and the know-how to make it happen.
Contact your Databricks account team for more information on training sessions.
Conference parties matter. So do the right dinners.
Contact your Databricks account team for invitations and event access.
The financial services track at Data + AI Summit 2026 isn't just a packed schedule. It's a concentrated, high-signal look at how the industry's best operators are actually thinking about AI, transformation, and competitive edge right now. That's rarer than it sounds.
See you at the summit. In case you can’t make it in person, register for the virtual experience or a regional watch party, like this one at the Vue in London.*Follow Databricks for Financial Services on LinkedIn and become part of our financial services community. *
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