Making AI part of our DNA

How AI Is Transforming Market Data and Financial Technology

The latest episode of FinTech Focus TV brings together two long-time industry colleagues as Toby welcomes back one of the earliest supporters of Harrington Starr: Amjad Zoghbi, Head of Artificial Intelligence at TRG Screen. Their conversation is an insightful look at the evolution of AI in financial technology, the realities behind innovation in long-established FinTech businesses, and the ways AI is reshaping market data, workflows, and teams across the sector.

For Harrington Starr, a global FinTech recruitment business operating in London, New York, and Belfast, conversations like this are invaluable. They give a grounded, first-hand view of how AI is influencing FinTech hiring, how technical disciplines are evolving, and how firms can attract the right FinTech talent to drive transformation. This blog summarises the full episode, staying close to the details of the transcript and exploring what this shift means for the future of Financial Technology.

FinTech Recruitment and the Story Behind TRG Screen’s AI Transformation

The episode opens with Toby expressing how meaningful it is to bring Amjad onto the show. As he explains, Amjad was one of Harrington Starr’s earliest customers when the company was founded, and someone who played a part in the fabric of the business from the beginning. Their early collaboration dates back to Amjad’s time at Sophis and later at XPansion, the company he co-founded in 2013.

Amjad recounts XPansion’s journey as one of the first organisations to build cloud-native reference data cost-management solutions at a time when the financial services industry was still hesitant about cloud adoption. Back then, the idea of moving critical systems to the cloud was a controversial one. Many firms insisted on on-premise installations, driven by concerns around security, governance, and regulatory compliance. Over time, the market caught up and began recognising the value of cloud architecture, something that mirrors the shift the industry is now experiencing with AI.

TRG Screen first began working with XPansion through a strategic partnership. The TRG team recognised the potential of XPansion’s cloud solution and wanted to resell the product across their global customer base. With TRG’s established distribution channels and XPansion’s technology, the two organisations found a strong and natural alignment. The partnership flourished for years until TRG Screen ultimately acquired XPansion, bringing Amjad and his team fully into the TRG family and positioning him for new leadership opportunities.

This context matters not only for understanding Amjad’s position today, but for understanding how AI talent evolves within the Financial Technology ecosystem. It exemplifies how leaders who innovate early, whether in cloud, automation, or AI, become highly sought after within the world of FinTech recruitment.

How Artificial Intelligence Is Being Embedded into Financial Technology Platforms

As Head of Artificial Intelligence at TRG Screen, Amjad is positioned at the forefront of AI-driven transformation within a business that has been operating for more than 30 years. Toby makes the point that established technology companies tend to fall into two categories: those that remain fixed in their legacy systems and ways of working, and those that behave like startups, constantly adapting, experimenting, and investing in the future. TRG Screen, he suggests, clearly belongs in the latter category.

Amjad describes TRG Screen’s mission in market data cost management, usage tracking, and compliance. For decades, financial institutions have struggled with the increasing complexity and rising costs of market data. It remains one of the largest expenses in a bank or trading firm’s technology budget. TRG Screen delivers the tools and insights firms need to reduce costs, maintain compliance, and gain visibility into what market data they’re using and why.

This is where AI enters the picture. Amjad explains that AI is not TRG Screen’s strategy; it is a tool that supports the strategy. The first question the company asks is not “How can we use AI?” but rather “How can AI improve efficiency, uncover insights, reduce manual effort, or scale knowledge for our clients?” That principle drives all AI development within the business.

This mindset mirrors the conversations we see across FinTech recruitment. Hiring managers want leaders who understand that AI is not the end goal, but a means of delivering value. They want talent that approaches AI with clarity, restraint, and customer impact in mind.

Building Internal AI Tools: Scaling Knowledge Across FinTech Teams

One of the most compelling themes in the conversation is TRG Screen’s internal AI adoption. Before the company built outward-facing AI features, it created an internal AI sales assistant designed to solve a very real challenge: knowledge scaling.

After the acquisition of XPansion and the rapid expansion of TRG Screen’s sales organisation, new sales hires frequently needed answers about XPansion’s products. These questions, while essential, were repetitive and time-consuming for technical teams to answer manually. Amjad’s team built an AI assistant that could answer product questions instantly, accurately, and at any time.

This tool has become deeply embedded into TRG Screen’s internal operations. A third of the company now uses it, including 100% of the sales team. It integrates directly into Slack, giving employees immediate access to product functionality details, release information, and recommended ways to position TRG’s technology.

This kind of knowledge scaling is becoming increasingly important in FinTech recruitment, especially in London and New York, where the competition for skilled AI talent and technical product specialists is at an all-time high. Companies that build internal AI tools not only improve efficiency but also strengthen their employer value proposition, making them more attractive to candidates looking for forward-thinking employers.

Automation vs. AI in Financial Technology: Why the Difference Matters

A key point Toby raises is the difference between automation and AI, something that many organisations misunderstand. Amjad explains it clearly: automation follows fixed, pre-programmed rules, whereas AI learns, interprets, and makes decisions that reflect how a human might respond.

This distinction is especially important when considering AI agents. AI agents can analyse data, interpret patterns, and suggest decisions, before asking a human for approval. They don’t simply execute steps; they reason through them. This creates a new category of workflows that are neither fully automated nor fully human-led, but instead a hybrid.

These agentic workflows will play an increasingly important role in how financial institutions manage market data. They will help eliminate inefficiencies caused by manual processes, slow communication, and operational inconsistencies. Importantly, Amjad emphasises that these agents do not replace people, they support them. Humans stay at the centre of the decision-making process, but AI removes repetitive, low-value tasks.

In the world of FinTech recruitment, this clarity is critical. Businesses need talent that understands the nuance of AI adoption, not just the hype. The future workforce must be equipped to work alongside AI agents rather than fear them.

The Future of Market Data, AI Talent, and Financial Technology Innovation

As the conversation moves into future-looking territory, both Toby and Amjad discuss the parallels between cloud adoption a decade ago and AI adoption now. Cloud technology faced resistance, largely due to security, governance, and regulatory concerns, especially in the FS space. AI is now experiencing similar scrutiny, particularly around accuracy, hallucinations, and data safety.

However, where cloud adoption took many years to mature in financial services, AI is developing exponentially faster. Amjad expects that the next 12 months will bring significant advancements, especially across internal processes, client workflows, and AI-powered analytics.

TRG Screen is investing heavily into its AI roadmap. The company is developing new capabilities that will allow clients to interact with market data platforms in a conversational, intuitive way. Instead of navigating complex interfaces, users will be able to communicate with the system as they would with a colleague. This level of user experience will fundamentally reshape how financial institutions work with market data.

Amjad also describes TRG’s AI Innovation Lab, a dedicated function focused on building AI toolkits around the company’s existing solutions. This gives TRG’s clients access to experimental tools and advanced insights without interfering with the core platform. It’s a forward-thinking approach that reflects the best of Financial Technology innovation.

These developments point toward a future where financial institutions rely heavily on AI to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and make smarter decisions.

For businesses in the FinTech recruitment ecosystem, this means a rising demand for AI engineers, data specialists, product managers with AI literacy, and leaders who can drive change at scale. The market for FinTech jobs will continue evolving at speed, especially across hubs like London, New York, Belfast, and Dublin.

A Powerful Conversation for FinTech Leaders and FinTech Talent Alike

Toby ends the conversation with a heartfelt message to Amjad. He reiterates how vital Amjad was to the early journey of Harrington Starr and how impactful it is to reconnect with someone who believed in the company during its earliest days. The episode closes on a note of respect, gratitude, and excitement for the future of AI in financial services.

For anyone looking to understand where AI is heading within Financial Technology, this episode of FinTech Focus TV is essential listening. It reveals not just the technology itself, but the mindset required to adopt it responsibly and intelligently.

It also underscores how important AI leadership has become for firms competing in today’s market. In a sector where demand for exceptional FinTech talent is accelerating, conversations like this help organisations understand what skills their teams need and how to build the future workforce of financial technology.