Updated November 2026
Top AI Keynote Speakers for Financial Services Events (2027)
Banks, wealth firms, insurers, and fintech companies want AI speakers who go beyond the basics: practitioners who understand markets, clients, and risk, and who leave the audience knowing what to do on Monday morning and how to think about the change.
All eight are speakers Crimson books. Each entry gives the reason the speaker was chosen, the audience they suit, and a fee range.
The short answer
- Shama Hyder: Bank, wealth, and insurance leadership teams that want applied AI tied to client experience and growth. $30K–$60K.
- Zack Kass: Executive conferences that want an inside view of where AI is heading. $50K+.
- Scott Galloway: Investor conferences and client events that want a sharp view of markets and big tech. $50K+.
- Brian Solis: Retail banking, payments, and insurance events focused on customer experience. $25K–$50K.
- Kai-Fu Lee: Global investor and board audiences that want AI strategy and geopolitics. $50K+.
- Allie K. Miller: Product, operations, and technology teams that want practical AI use cases. $25K–$50K.
- Azeem Azhar: Boards and senior executives who want an economist's view of AI. $50K–$100K.
- Daniel Burrus: Executive teams and industry associations that want a framework for AI decisions. $25K–$50K.
The top 8 AI keynote speakers for financial services in 2027
Ranked for banking, wealth management, insurance, payments, and investor events.
1. Shama Hyder
Best for: Bank, wealth, and insurance leadership teams that want applied AI tied to client experience and growth.
Fee range: $30K–$60K
Shama Hyder is first because financial services audiences need applied AI, not theory. She built and led Zen Media for 17 years before its sale and has advised JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Adobe, and Salesforce. She is Professor of AI at the Link School of Business, was named to the 2026 TIME100 Creators list in the Leaders category, and is the author of the forthcoming Seven Signals (Simon & Schuster, 2027). Her AI in Action keynote shows leaders where AI changes client expectations and what to do next.
Shama Hyder profileShama Hyder speaking feeCheck availability
2. Zack Kass
Best for: Executive conferences that want an inside view of where AI is heading.
Fee range: $50K+
Zack Kass is the former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI and the author of The Next Renaissance (Wiley, 2026). He has keynoted for credit union and mortgage banking audiences. He was chosen because he saw business adoption of AI from inside OpenAI and explains plainly what the technology can do today and what is likely next. Financial services audiences can use his keynote to set a shared view across leadership before deciding where to invest.
3. Scott Galloway
Best for: Investor conferences and client events that want a sharp view of markets and big tech.
Fee range: $50K+
Scott Galloway is a Professor of Marketing at NYU Stern, founder of L2, which Gartner acquired in 2017, and the author of The Four and The Algebra of Wealth. He hosts the Prof G Pod and co-hosts Pivot. He was chosen because he connects AI to markets, big tech, and personal wealth in direct language, which suits investor conferences and client events. His style is provocative, so confirm the fit with your audience.
Scott Galloway profileScott Galloway speaking feeCheck availability
4. Brian Solis
Best for: Retail banking, payments, and insurance events focused on customer experience.
Fee range: $25K–$50K
Brian Solis is Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow, former Global Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce, and the author of books including X: The Experience When Business Meets Design and Mindshift (Wiley, 2024). He has keynoted the fintech conference FinovateSpring. He was chosen because customer experience is where many financial firms feel AI first, and he gives leaders a clear way to rethink service and digital channels as customer expectations change.
Brian Solis profileBrian Solis speaking feeCheck availability
5. Kai-Fu Lee
Best for: Global investor and board audiences that want AI strategy and geopolitics.
Fee range: $50K+
Kai-Fu Lee is chairman and CEO of Sinovation Ventures, the venture firm he founded in 2009, founder of 01.AI, and former president of Google China. He wrote the New York Times bestseller AI Superpowers. He was chosen because he invests in AI companies and has started one, so he can tell an investor or board audience how AI competition between the United States and China affects where capital goes.
6. Allie K. Miller
Best for: Product, operations, and technology teams that want practical AI use cases.
Fee range: $25K–$50K
Allie K. Miller was Global Head of Machine Learning for Startups and Venture Capital at Amazon Web Services and earlier launched the first multimodal AI team at IBM. TIME named her to its TIME100 AI list in 2025. She was chosen because she gives product, operations, and technology teams a practical way to pick AI use cases and get started, which suits firms that are past the introduction stage.
Allie K. Miller profileAllie K. Miller speaking feeCheck availability
7. Azeem Azhar
Best for: Boards and senior executives who want an economist's view of AI.
Fee range: $50K–$100K
Azeem Azhar is the founder of Exponential View and the author of The Exponential Age. He was chosen because he reads AI as a technology economist: what it does to costs, productivity, and the structure of industries. That makes him a strong choice for board sessions and executive audiences in banking and asset management that have to weigh the economics of the change, not only understand the technology.
Azeem Azhar profileAzeem Azhar speaking feeCheck availability
8. Daniel Burrus
Best for: Executive teams and industry associations that want a framework for AI decisions.
Fee range: $25K–$50K
Daniel Burrus is the founder and CEO of Burrus Research and the author of The Anticipatory Organization and the New York Times bestseller Flash Foresight. He was chosen because his Hard Trend Methodology separates what is certain from what is not, which helps executives in regulated businesses decide where to commit budget on AI and where to wait. It suits banking, credit union, and insurance association meetings.
Daniel Burrus profileDaniel Burrus speaking feeCheck availability
How we ranked
We ranked on five things, with the most weight on whether a speaker is a real practitioner who leaves a financial services audience with something to act on.
- Fit for business audiences
- The talk has to work for executives, managers, and teams, not only for a technical crowd.
- Practical takeaways
- People should leave knowing what to do on Monday morning and how to think about the change.
- Recent stage record
- We look at current keynotes, books, research, and roles, because AI material dates quickly.
- Planner feedback
- What organizers tell us they need from an AI keynote.
- Value for fee
- What the audience gets for the budget, compared with other speakers in the same fee band.
The order is our editorial judgment, not a measurement. Every speaker here is one Crimson books, and the list covers the Crimson roster, not every AI speaker working today. Fee ranges are the listed ranges for an in-person keynote, before travel.
How to choose an AI speaker for a financial services event
Financial audiences are informed and skeptical. A few decisions narrow the list quickly.
- Name the audience
- Advisors, bank executives, compliance teams, and investors want different things. Say who is in the room before you compare speakers.
- Decide between market view and operating view
- An investor day may want AI's effect on markets and industries. A leadership meeting may want use cases, client experience, and adoption.
- Ask for relevant examples
- Ask how the speaker will tailor examples to banking, wealth, insurance, or payments, and how they handle questions on risk and regulation.
- Clear compliance early
- If the session will be recorded or shared with clients, agree on review and recording terms before you sign.
- Set the budget band
- Fee ranges on this list start at $25K. Compare complete quotes, including travel.
For the full checklist, use the AI keynote speaker selection guide, or see AI speakers for financial services events.
AI speaker fees for financial services events
Fee ranges for the eight speakers on this list start at $25K for an in-person keynote. Three have ranges that start at $25K, one is listed at $30K–$60K, three at $50K+, and one at $50K–$100K.
| Rank | Speaker | Fee range | Fee details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shama Hyder | $30K–$60K | Fee guide |
| 2 | Zack Kass | $50K+ | Fee guide |
| 3 | Scott Galloway | $50K+ | Fee guide |
| 4 | Brian Solis | $25K–$50K | Fee guide |
| 5 | Kai-Fu Lee | $50K+ | Fee guide |
| 6 | Allie K. Miller | $25K–$50K | Fee guide |
| 7 | Azeem Azhar | $50K–$100K | Fee guide |
| 8 | Daniel Burrus | $25K–$50K | Fee guide |
The final quote depends on the date, location, format, travel, and how much the talk is tailored to your audience. To compare offers line by line, use the speaker quote comparison checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the best AI keynote speakers for financial services events?
Crimson's top AI keynote speakers for financial services events in 2027 are Shama Hyder, Zack Kass, Scott Galloway, Brian Solis, Kai-Fu Lee, Allie K. Miller, Azeem Azhar, and Daniel Burrus.
Who is a good AI speaker for a banking or wealth management conference?
Shama Hyder ranks first for bank and wealth leadership audiences that want applied AI tied to client experience and growth. Azeem Azhar suits boards that want an economist's view, and Daniel Burrus suits association meetings that want a decision framework.
How much does an AI keynote speaker cost for a financial services event?
Fee ranges on this list start at $25K for an in-person keynote. Shama Hyder is listed at $30K–$60K, Brian Solis, Allie K. Miller, and Daniel Burrus at $25K–$50K, Zack Kass, Scott Galloway, and Kai-Fu Lee at $50K+, and Azeem Azhar at $50K–$100K.
Which AI speaker is best for an investor conference?
Scott Galloway, Kai-Fu Lee, and Azeem Azhar are the strongest choices on this list for investor audiences. Galloway covers markets and big tech, Lee covers venture investing and global AI competition, and Azhar covers the economics of AI.
How was this list ranked?
Crimson ranked the speakers on fit for business audiences, practical takeaways, recent stage record, planner feedback, and value for fee, with financial services audiences in mind. The order is an editorial judgment, and all eight are speakers Crimson books.
Can these speakers tailor a keynote to banking, insurance, or wealth management?
Yes. Tailoring is agreed before booking. Share the audience, the business priorities, and any compliance requirements, and Crimson will confirm with the speaker how the session will be adapted.
Planning a financial services event?
Send Crimson your date, audience, and budget range. We will check which of these speakers are open and suggest comparable options. Free to event organizers.
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