In conversation with... Sally-Anne Hicks

What was your journey to your role today, would you say it’s been a typical career path?

My journey into my current role hasn’t been a completely typical one. I’ve always been drawn to where technology meets real-world impact, which led me into financial services and, more specifically, into the data and decisioning space. Over time, I’ve focused on how platforms and innovation can help organisations make better, more responsible decisions at scale. That’s ultimately shaped my path into leading platform innovation, where I get to work at the intersection of AI, data, and customer outcomes.

If you weren’t working in credit and financial services, what would you be doing?

If I wasn’t working in credit and financial services, I’d still want to be doing something that blends technology with problem-solving. Most likely something in the broader tech or innovation space—potentially working with emerging technologies or even in a start-up environment where you can build and experiment.

What is something that not many people know about you?

Something not many people know about me is that I’m naturally very curious and always looking to understand how things work beneath the surface—whether that’s technology, systems, or even people and behaviours. It’s something that really shapes how I approach both my work and leadership.

What is the most significant challenge facing the credit/financial services industry today?

One of the most significant challenges facing the industry today is balancing rapid innovation—particularly with AI and automation—with trust, transparency, and responsible use of data. As we move towards more agentic and autonomous decisioning, ensuring that outcomes remain fair, explainable, and customer-centric is absolutely critical.

Which session or theme at Credit Week are you most looking forward to, and why?

I’m particularly looking forward to sessions that explore the practical application of AI and how organisations are operationalising it at scale. It’s one thing to talk about innovation, but seeing how businesses are actually embedding it into real decisioning processes is where the real value lies.

What trend or development are you excited about in the credit / financial services sector?

The trend I’m most excited about is the move towards connected, intelligent decisioning ecosystems—where data, analytics, and AI come together seamlessly to enable more proactive and personalised customer experiences. The shift towards agentic systems is especially interesting, as it has the potential to fundamentally reshape how decisions are made.

What do you hope to take away from Credit Week 2026?

From Credit Week 2026, I’m hoping to take away fresh perspectives from across the industry—particularly how others are tackling similar challenges around AI, trust, and scalability. It’s also a great opportunity to connect with peers and exchange ideas on what’s next for the industry.

What advice would you give to someone who’s starting their career in the industry?

My advice to someone starting their career in the industry would be to stay curious and open to change. This is a space that’s evolving rapidly, especially with technology playing such a central role. Building a strong foundation in both data and customer understanding, while being adaptable, will set you up really well for the future.

Join Sally at Credit Week 2026!