August Keating
Chief Business Officer - Capital Markets, FIS
An FIS leader shares the one opportunity every tech woman should seize
August Keating’s traditional finance career segued into FinTech following her experiences on Wall Street during the financial crash in 2008, and some strategic sideways moves aimed at expanding her skillset into consultancy and business operations.
Now enjoying her second stint at FIS, the Chief Business Officer shares her views on the opportunities and risks presented by Gen AI, the skills every tech woman needs to cultivate in order to stay relevant and competitive, and the ‘game-changing’ opportunity that should be seized as often as possible…
What was your entry to the FinTech space?
My career began in financial services right after completing my studies in economics. I was intrigued by business and had exposure to Wall Street during my undergraduate years, which coincided with the global financial crisis of 2008/09. I started at JP Morgan, which emerged stronger from the crisis. After a few years, I pivoted into consulting to really understand business strategy operations and how to implement them. This consulting firm was later acquired by FIS, a FinTech company, which led me naturally into financial technology. FinTech, although a kind of buzzword now, has been around for a long time; banks have always been running and operating using technology, so me arriving there happened organically.
Tell us about your time at FIS so far.
I started at FIS through an acquisition and was initially lucky enough to work with them as Chief of Staff to the corporate COO, which was an incredible opportunity to understand global business strategy. I travelled to 20 countries, met clients, and learned about corporate execution at scale, which was fantastic. These skills came with me as I moved across into software engineering. I wasn’t a coder, and I didn’t come from an engineering background, but what I brought to the table was a business perspective. So, I spent three years driving strategy and operations for the 10,000 or so software engineers across the organisation.
Later, I took some time away from FIS to explore the startup ecosystem in Miami and run a company there. That world was very different from FIS, but very fun and I learned a lot about different types and sizes of businesses. Eventually, the folks at FIS came knocking on my door and I ‘boomeranged’ back—and I’m happy and excited about that. It is a fantastic organisation, who work with the best clients, and there are a lot of really smart people working here. I’d say that from a career perspective there are benefits of working in a large institution like FIS—there’s structure around your career path, and the learning programmes that can really shape your professional journey.
How have you seen AI transform your workplace and career?
AI is another one that’s not new—but certainly Gen AI’s new capabilities have been a real game-changer, democratising skills for people like me who don’t code. It allows us to leverage these capabilities to give us more time to have fun and be creative.
I was exposed to AI during my tour at FIS as a software engineering organisation, where we worked on robotic process automation, machine learning, and data manipulation for predictive capabilities. So, what I would specifically say for FIS is that we’re deep in that journey. Our CEO emphasised the need for a cohesive AI enterprise strategy, and I was appointed to lead this initiative. I’ve been having a lot of fun going across FIS and assessing our AI usage, vendors, tools, and investment areas to scale successful efforts. For a non-techie like me to learn about these capabilities has been pretty awesome.
What excites you about advances in AI? Do you foresee any drawbacks?
With any new technology you need to be looking at it from a 360 degree angle. Of course, you need to be excited and motivated by the many benefits it can create for employees, clients and individuals, but you also have to understand and assess the underlying risk. It’s also important to make sure you’re not looking at any new tech initiatives in isolation.
FIS is a software company, so our number one asset after our people is our intellectual property. As we think about the usage of Gen AI, we want to understand the privacy issue—where those models are sourcing information, what is done with our information and who can access it. We also need to use to AI in such a way that questions its output and its quality, recognising that humans need to be part of the process from a quality check perspective to creatively assess the output. The tools are new, so in many ways it’s a case of you don’t know what you don’t know, and so in this new world it’s important to be curious and keep an open mind.
What misconceptions are there about working in FinTech?
I think there are a few. Firstly, many people still assume that the FinTech environment is predominantly present in small startups with male-dominated environments in major city hubs. FinTech actually encompasses a range of companies, including global giants like FIS, as well as small and medium-sized companies. Whilst it is still quite a male-dominated field, it’s been my experience that consumers and clients don’t care who you are as long as you’re getting the outcomes they desire. Through my time at FIS and my career overall, my experience of the industry as an LGBT female of colour is that it’s a meritocracy, and that there are some great leaders with eyes only for talent. I appreciate though that this isn’t everyone’s experience.
What are the personal attributes you can bring into a tech career?
Curiosity, grit and being willing to put in the effort. It’s about going beyond assigned tasks, exploring solutions, and being open to learning. Building relationships and networking are also crucial by engaging with colleagues and peers or even just a foundational rapport to create a supportive environment where everyone can succeed. At the end of the day, if you work in a tech organisation, you’ll need a multitude of people working on your products from conception to sales and distribution—so collaboration is vital for success.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your time with FIS?
Seize any chance or opportunity to get in front of a client—to be in a client meeting, to listen and hear directly from the client what’s working and what’s not. That’s completely game-changing. It’s only until you have those direct client forums that you really understand the issues. It’s crucial to humanise the technology we develop by listening to the people who use it. When I get those opportunities, I’m much more motivated to solve problems—and it’s so empowering to see the impact of your work.
