Governing AI in Financial Services: Inside the FCA with Jessica Rusu, Chief Data, Information & Intelligence Officer

👉 Discover how Cambridge Spark helps organisations build the data and AI capabilities needed to turn strategy into measurable impact: cambridgespark.com In this special episode of Data & AI Mastery Dr Raoul-Gabriel Urma goes inside the Financial Conduct Authority to sit down with Jessica Rusu, Chief Data, Information and Intelligence Officer at one of the most influential regulatory bodies in the world. The FCA oversees the conduct of more than 50,000 firms across UK financial services. Jessica sits at the centre of a question that every financial institution is grappling with right now: how do you move fast with AI while remaining genuinely accountable for outcomes? In this episode, Jessica shares how the FCA's digital and regulatory sandboxes are cutting fintech development timelines from a year to three months, why the FCA has deliberately avoided writing new AI-specific rules, and what firms consistently underestimate when deploying AI at scale. She also shares a practical framework for building a future-ready career in data and AI, drawing on her own journey from Ford Motor Company to eBay to the heart of UK financial regulation. If you work in data, technology, or strategy inside a regulated industry, this is essential listening. Be sure to follow the show wherever you get your podcasts to never miss an episode. Enjoyed this conversation? Why not tune in to our episode with Edmund Towers, Head of Advanced Analytics & Data Science Units at the FCA: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ai-regulation-and-trust-using-data-science-to-protect/id1779783413?i=1000750268699 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3JD7g1B47xI8JJ71ROF1Vp?si=00dc012933554b40 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=379oyRKg-eE Chapter Markers (00:00) - Introduction and what responsible AI really means (02:26) - Jessica's career journey from Ford to the FCA (08:42) - Inside the FCA's regulatory and digital sandboxes (14:40) - Scaling AI responsibly and what doing it badly looks like (19:18) - Why the FCA chose not to write new AI-specific rules (24:57) - Accelerators and blockers of AI adoption in fintech (31:37) - The T-shaped skills framework for future careers (35:04) - Key takeaways Useful Links Follow Dr Raoul-Gabriel Urma on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/raoulurma Connect with Jessica Rusu on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jessica-rusu-189134a  Visit the Cambridge Spark Website: https://cambridgespark.com/