Modernizing a 100-Year-Old Institution: AI at TIAA with Chief Operating, Information & Digital Officer Sastry Durvasula

On the 52nd episode of Enterprise AI Innovators, host Evan Reiser (Abnormal AI) talks with Sastry Durvasula, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating, Information, and Digital Officer at TIAA. Serving the investment and retirement needs of over 5 million customers, TIAA is a Fortune 500 financial services company with $40 billion in revenue and over $1 trillion in assets under management. In this conversation, Sastry shares his perspective on how AI enables large-scale transformation within a 100-year-old institution, why everyone should have a secure AI assistant, and the cultural components that will unlock the next wave of enterprise AI adoption.

Quick hits from Sastry:

On using AI to enhance security awareness training: “We used to send static phishing emails. Now we use generative AI to create training campaigns that are more realistic—and way harder to spot.”

On AI’s strategic impact for legacy enterprise: “AI will play the biggest role in the operational aspects of large, old companies, like digitization did 15 years ago.”

On the importance of leadership: “We talk about platforms, processes, and people. But one of my mentors told me: it’s people, people, people.”

Recent Book Recommendation: Hit Refresh by Satya Nadella, Jill Tracie Nichols, and Greg Shaw

--

Like what you hear? Leave us a review and subscribe to the show on Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Enterprise AI Innovators is a show where top technology executives share how AI is transforming the enterprise. Each episode covers the real-world applications of AI, from improving products and optimizing operations to redefining the customer experience. 

Find more great insights from technology leaders and enterprise software experts at https://www.enterprisesoftware.blog/ 

Enterprise AI Innovators is produced by Josh Meer.