Michail Steliaros

For heads of desk aiming to set an AI adoption strategy, prioritise projects, and manage governance.

This lab focuses on the leadership perspective- helping heads of desk set a strategic direction for AI integration. Through interactive discussion, participants will map internal use cases, prioritise investments, and outline governance frameworks to balance innovation with risk management. Topics include building in-house versus partnering with vendors, aligning AI with wider technology modernisation plans, and defining the skill sets future trading teams will need.

Trading desks are no longer defined solely by order execution- they’re becoming strategic centres for market intelligence, idea generation, and risk insights. As market structure evolves, trading workflows diversify, and technology accelerates, the desk’s value is increasingly measured by its direct impact on investment decisions and performance.

In this opening talk, a senior buy-side leader will share how their desk’s mandate has shifted: from aligning more closely with portfolio strategy, to expanding asset coverage, to building stronger links with research, data science, and risk teams. Attendees will gain a clear view of how the desk’s purpose is being reimagined- and what it will take to lead from the centre of the investment process.