Auxilion, an Irish-owned provider of IT services, consulting and managed governance solutions, today issued its “Financial Industry Report 2025: AI & IT Strategy, Governance & Talent.” The study, commissioned in partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and undertaken by independent research firm Censuswide, captures insights from more than 200 senior managers employed in Ireland’s financial-services sector. It offers a current snapshot of how banks, insurers, investment managers and fintech companies are reshaping technology strategy in response to economic headwinds, rapid advances in artificial intelligence and a changing regulatory landscape.
The research shows technology programmes are feeling the impact of the wider economy. Sixty-five percent of respondents said at least one planned or active technology initiative had been halted during the past twelve months. Workforce dynamics are equally volatile: fifty-nine percent of senior managers reported changing jobs within the last year, a figure that underscores intense competition for people with digital expertise. At the same time, artificial intelligence is moving firmly into day-to-day workflows, with eighty-four percent of those surveyed using AI tools to perform core elements of their role. Cyber-risk remains a persistent challenge; sixty-five percent of institutions experienced a security breach in the previous year. Regulatory change is another defining theme. Seventy-one percent of senior managers cited environmental, social and governance compliance as one of the three greatest business challenges they face in 2025.
Auxilion interprets these findings as evidence of simultaneous opportunity and constraint. While the pace of innovation continues to accelerate, the company’s analysis indicates that successful AI deployment must be matched with disciplined IT service management, modern governance frameworks and ongoing investment in digital talent to ensure sustainable gains.
The report highlights a widening gap between technology ambitions and operational capacity. Although seventy-eight percent of respondents intend to increase spending on AI-enabled solutions over the next eighteen months, sixty-two percent identify a shortage of suitably skilled staff as a primary barrier to delivery. Auxilion advises institutions to pair platform modernisation with structured talent programmes that blend reskilling, managed services and strategic partnerships.
Cybersecurity continues to command investment. Respondents placed threat detection, incident response and cloud-security architecture at the top of their priority list for 2025. Auxilion recommends adoption of zero-trust principles, regular resilience assessments and integrated security controls across multi-cloud environments to mitigate escalating risks.
Regulatory complexity is expected to intensify. In addition to heightened ESG requirements, interviewees pointed to the forthcoming Digital Operational Resilience Act, updates to the Central Bank of Ireland’s consumer-protection code and evolving data-privacy rules as pressing compliance drivers. The report outlines practical steps, including governance frameworks that map regulatory mandates to technology road maps, automated reporting workflows and board-level oversight of sustainability metrics.
Working with HPE gave the research team access to additional edge-to-cloud infrastructure expertise and data sets, broadening the study’s perspective on how emerging platforms are influencing strategic decision-making across the sector.
Auxilion will present the full findings at a client briefing in Dublin on 10 June, where sector leaders will discuss practical approaches to aligning AI innovation with robust IT strategy. A complimentary copy of the 28-page report is available for download at https://www.auxilion.com/insights/report
About Auxilion
Auxilion is a trusted partner for public- and private-sector organisations seeking to drive business value through technology. Headquartered in Dublin with operations across Ireland and the United Kingdom, the company provides consulting, managed services and governance solutions that enable clients to plan, build and run secure, sustainable digital infrastructure. For more information, visit https://www.auxilion.com.
