The takeaways
Why cloud value remains elusive: most financial institutions have adopted cloud at scale, but legacy complexity, fragmented data, cost pressure and regulation prevent many from turning cloud and AI investment into measurable business outcomes.
What leaders must do now: closing the execution gap requires reframing cloud from infrastructure to value platform, mastering multi‑cloud complexity, embedding resilience by design, and targeting AI where it delivers tangible impact.
How to stay ahead: financial institutions that act now on these five imperatives can build resilient, AI‑ready cloud environments that scale innovation, control risk and unlock sustained competitive advantage.
Cloud is no longer a question of adoption for financial institutions — it is a question of execution.
Across EMEA, most banks, insurers and asset managers have already built their cloud foundations and continue to increase investment. Yet many are struggling to translate cloud and AI spend into measurable business value. Legacy complexity, fragmented data, regulatory pressure, cybersecurity risk and rising cost challenges are widening the gap between institutions that scale cloud successfully and those that stagnate.
Drawing on insights from PwC’s 2025 EMEA Cloud Business Survey, this thought leadership explores why cloud value remains elusive for so many financial institutions — and what leaders must do next to close the execution gap.
Built specifically for financial services executives, this strategic guide outlines five critical imperatives to help organisations move beyond infrastructure modernisation and turn cloud and AI into a true value platform:
- Shifting cloud strategy from migration to measurable business outcomes
- Turning multi cloud complexity into an operational and cost advantage
- Embedding cybersecurity, data privacy and digital sovereignty into cloud design
- Targeting AI investment to drive tangible impact — not experimentation
- Preparing for the rise of agentic AI as the next competitive differentiator
Together, these imperatives provide a practical roadmap for cloud and technology leaders navigating an environment defined by tighter regulation, geopolitical uncertainty and accelerating AI disruption.
“The challenge for financial institutions is no longer adopting cloud—it is turning cloud and AI investments into measurable business value across the enterprise.”
Andrea Wintermantel,Partner, EMEA Consulting Financial Services Leader, PwC UKAbout the authors
Download PwC strategic guide to understand how financial institutions can unlock real, scalable value from cloud and AI — and position their organisation ahead of the next wave of competition.
Are you ready to embrace the new age of cloud?
Download PwC’s 2025 EMEA Cloud Business Survey to explore key insights, and practical actions for responding to the cloud shifting paradigm.
