The 2026 AI and Future of Finance Conference included two special Tech Talks Business sessions. Industry leaders discussed the future of AI and its impact on financial institutions and cloud-based platforms. Dean Anuj Mehrotra welcomed Adena Friedman, Chair and CEO of Nasdaq, on March 19, and Sridhar Ramaswamy, CEO of Snowflake on March 20.
From global markets to enterprise data platforms, AI is redefining how organizations operate and create value. Through two different yet complementary conversations, these sessions underscored how trust, data, and adaptability will shape the next chapter of AI innovation.
Adena Friedman on Trust and the Future of Global Markets
Friedman’s journey to becoming CEO of Nasdaq reflects a career built on intellectual curiosity and a dedication to growth alongside the company’s evolution.
Friedman began as an intern at Nasdaq in the trading group after earning her MBA. She knew she wanted to work in finance, and in this role was able to learn about markets from the ground up while redefining how Nasdaq thought about technology product management. Looking back, Friedman emphasized the importance of early mentorship in her career trajectory.
“The secret to many successful careers is the first manager,” she said, crediting leaders who empowered her with the autonomy and patience to go try new things. Those opportunities enabled Friedman to move up quickly and eventually take on leadership roles from creating the data division to overseeing acquisitions that globalized the business. Each step showed she wasn't just along for the ride – she was actively driving Nasdaq forward.
Trust as the Foundation
At the core of Friedman’s conversation was trust. As AI accelerates decision-making and markets increasingly operate at machine speed, she emphasized that credibility and reliability cannot be compromised.
Friedman described how Nasdaq evolved from the first electronic stock exchange into a global technology company that powers 135 markets worldwide, enables the innovation economy, and safeguards the integrity of the financial system.
“We are the architects of the world’s most modern markets and serve as the technology fabric that underpins the financial system,” she said. “Trust is everything to us. It’s not just part of what we do—it’s who we are.”
Responible AI Innovation in a Regulated World
With trust and confidence intertwined throughout the conversation, Friedman shared how Nasdaq incorporates AI into its business model.
AI is already woven into their products, helping automate workflows and boost efficiency across fraud detection, regulatory compliance, and market surveillance. Within Nasdaq, they’ve embraced AI to improve product development, enhance employee productivity, and create a better experience for clients. Overall, it’s helping Nasdaq work smarter and deliver real results every day.
However, she cautioned against rushing adoption of every new tool that comes off the shelf.
“We have to slow down a little on the front end so we can speed up on the back end,” she explained, pointing to the importance of security reviews, governance frameworks, and intentional deployment.
Looking to the Future
One of Dean Mehrotra’s final questions was how a financial institution like Nasdaq fosters innovation while keeping reliability and trust at the forefront.
She said it’s an interesting balance.
“When I first became CEO, Nasdaq was extremely focused on reliability and proud of our resilience, scale, and ability to serve our clients. But we weren’t as focused on driving our future” she shared. “So it has been an intentional effort by me and the entire leadership team to unlock responsible growth, balancing the resilience side we’ve always had while we innovate. It’s not an either-or situation, but it requires that consistent intentionality.”
As the conversation concluded, Friedman discussed structural shifts reshaping global markets, including extended trading hours, tokenization of equities, and more seamless capital flows.
Nasdaq’s move toward “23/5 trading” (23 hours a day, five days a week) and its efforts to integrate digital assets within existing regulatory frameworks, signal a future of greater accessibility and efficiency, with tokenization —the process of protecting sensitive data by replacing it with unique digital identifiers— streamlining the flow of money globally. She said these changes will take time and unfold over years, requiring coordination across regulators and institutions.
“You can’t move fast in finance unless you’re resilient,” she said. “The future of finance will belong to organizations that can balance innovation with accountability and ambition with trust.”