Core banking modernisation can stall when a bank treats it as a software replacement rather than a change to how the institution operates. New platforms may address technical constraints, but they do not automatically alter decision rights, product ownership, risk processes or the way teams work across business and technology.
That distinction is central to Brett King’s discussion in the 20 August 2026 Breaking Banks episode, “Rip Out the Core”. The episode brings together King, Paolo Sironi and Pal Krogdahl to consider a difficult question for established banks: what must change when legacy core systems no longer support the speed, flexibility and customer experiences an organisation wants to deliver?
What “rip out the core” means
A core banking system is the operational backbone that supports fundamental banking activities, including accounts, balances, transactions and product processing. Replacing or substantially changing it is therefore not a contained technology task. It affects product teams, operations, controls, data, customer servicing and the governance mechanisms that connect them.
The title of the Breaking Banks episode makes the challenge deliberately plain. “Rip out the core” is not simply a call to remove old technology. It frames core modernisation as a decision about the institution’s ability to redesign processes and operating assumptions that may have grown around legacy platforms over many years.
For leaders, the practical implication is clear: a programme can be technically well managed and still struggle to create meaningful business value if the organisation retains the same slow approval paths, siloed ownership and delivery practices that constrained it before.
Why an IT-only approach creates problems
Technology teams are often asked to deliver a core replacement while business units continue operating with limited changes to priorities, accountabilities and processes. This separation can produce a gap between what a new platform can enable and what the bank is prepared to change.
Three organisational issues deserve attention alongside architecture and vendor selection:
- Decision-making: Core programmes require decisions about products, processes, controls and customer journeys. If those decisions are escalated repeatedly or owned by disconnected functions, delivery may slow regardless of the technology chosen.
- Operating-model design: A modern platform may support more modular products and faster change, but those capabilities are limited if teams are organised around hand-offs, fragmented ownership and lengthy release cycles.
- Institutional ways of working: Migration, testing, risk management and service continuity require sustained collaboration. Treating change management as a communications workstream, rather than a redesign of how people make and execute decisions, can leave the underlying barriers intact.
This is the organisational-change argument behind the episode’s subject matter. King’s contribution is relevant because it directs attention beyond the technical question of whether a bank should replace its core, towards the leadership question of what the bank must become capable of doing once it has.
Brett King’s banking speaker perspective: start with the institution
For a board or executive team, the useful starting point is not “Which system should we buy?” but “Which business capabilities are we trying to build, and what must change for them to work?” That reframes core modernisation as an enterprise programme with technology as one essential component.
Before committing to a major transformation, leaders can test the readiness of the institution with questions such as:
- Which customer, product or operational outcomes should the programme make possible?
- Who has authority to resolve trade-offs across technology, risk, operations and product?
- Which legacy processes are being redesigned, rather than reproduced on a new platform?
- How will teams maintain service continuity while changing data, workflows and controls?
- What measures will show whether the organisation is becoming easier to change after implementation?
These questions do not eliminate the complexity of core banking modernisation. They do, however, help prevent a narrow implementation plan from becoming the substitute for a broader institutional strategy.
A stronger agenda for banking and transformation events
For conference organisers, the value of this topic is that it connects architecture, governance, culture and customer outcomes in one executive conversation. A session with Brett King can be relevant to banking CEOs, boards, CIOs, CTOs, operations leaders, transformation teams and fintech audiences because each group has a role in the decisions that determine whether modernisation remains an IT programme or becomes organisational change.
Rather than asking speakers only to forecast the next banking technology, event programmes can use this theme to examine accountability, operating models, legacy constraints and the choices leaders face during large-scale change. That creates room for a more practical discussion: not only what a bank should modernise, but how it should organise itself to make modernisation usable.
Frequently asked questions
Why do core banking transformation projects fail?
They can struggle when technology replacement is separated from changes to decision-making, processes, accountability and ways of working. A new platform alone does not resolve organisational bottlenecks.
What is the difference between IT transformation and organisational transformation in banking?
IT transformation focuses on systems, infrastructure and delivery. Organisational transformation also addresses the operating model: who makes decisions, how teams collaborate, how products and controls are managed, and how the institution adapts after implementation.
How can banks approach core modernisation more effectively?
They can define the business capabilities they want to create, establish cross-functional decision rights, redesign relevant processes rather than copying them, and treat adoption and operating-model change as core programme responsibilities.
What expertise does Brett King bring to banking transformation events?
Brett King brings a perspective on digital banking and the institutional implications of technology change. His discussion of core modernisation helps audiences consider the organisational choices behind major banking technology programmes.
To enquire about Brett King for a conference, leadership meeting or corporate event, contact Speakers Connect at info@speakersconnect.com.