AI and Governance: Key Takeaways from COBA25

A year is a long time in AI... who else is amazed at the developments we are all seeing around us on this front? The 2025 Customer Owned Banking Association convention in Brisbane kicked off yesterday with a thought provoking (harrowing?) governance session for Directors and CEOs including content from Tim Trumper, author of AI: Game On: How to Decide Who – or What – Decides and followed by a panel conversation with Chairs Andrew Kearnan GAICD, MBA, Sam Martin-Williams FAICD FGIA CMILT, Simon Terry and Elizabeth Crouch AM FAICD on the theme of Technology, Trust and Modern Governance. I'm buying Tim's book to take home.. stay tuned for a future review! Meantime, what were my key takeaways for decision makers? - Modern governance is a team sport - involve all the Board members and key execs in prioritising purpose-led AI innovations to optimise return on investment. - Strategy intersecting with innovation: Tim illustrated when to leverage AI for efficiency and enhanced member experiences—and when human oversight remains essential. His approach marries agility with accountability. - Guardrails are key: Ethical frameworks remain essential for boards and executives looking to adopt AI responsibly. - Building Sustainable Advantage: Tim’s case studies emphasized competitive positioning that aligns with your organisation’s values—ensuring member interests, long-term resilience, and societal good are front and centre. - The future is now: For all of us, it is clear that AI is no longer a futuristic ideal—it’s a strategic imperative and core to operating business today. - Unite for Impact: Mutuality and cooperation are core to the fabric of customer-owned banking and in overlay with AI can help us continue to differentiate our offerings from the big banks in a scalable way. For leaders and board members, this was more than a keynote - it was a call to action. Looking forward to connecting with colleagues throughout the next 2 days at #COBA25 as we look to #UniteForImpact. #AI #governance #customerownedbanking #mutuality