Beyond Boundaries | Reinventing TIAA: AI, innovation, and transformation
Welcome to Beyond Boundaries, the series that spotlights the leaders reshaping insurance – from design to delivery, worldwide.
In this episode, Sønr’s CEO, Matt Connolly, is joined by Sastry Durvasula, Chief Operating, Information & Digital Officer at TIAA. Together, they explore what it takes to modernise a 100+ year-old institution, aligning technology, operations, and digital experience to deliver better outcomes for participants.
Sastry discusses TIAA’s AI strategy, platform architecture, and the cultural ingredients behind sustainable transformation. From internal enablement to product innovation, he shares how TIAA is turning vision into execution.
🎙 In this episode, you’ll hear:
📈 How TIAA is operationalising AI across the enterprise, safely and at scale
🧩 Why platform foundations (data, architecture, governance) unlock real-world impact
🤝 The “buy, build, partner” framework for focused, faster innovation
🏦 Expanding access to lifetime income and improving retirement confidence
📍 What you’ll also hear:
Sastry’s take on separating signal from noise in AI; building multidisciplinary teams; measuring outcomes (not pilots); and designing with empathy for customers navigating complex financial decisions.
A huge thank you to Sastry for a thoughtful, practical conversation on AI, innovation, and transformation in financial services.
🚀 Exciting news: Our Beyond Boundaries 2025 report launched, dive into the report now: https://sonr.global/beyond-boundaries-2025/
📧 Want to get involved? Reach out at [email protected]
