Most banks are still tinkering at the edges. Bank Zero bet everything on building differently. Behind that bet is a technology leader who has spent decades learning not just how to build systems, but how to build the judgment to know which system to build.

Gita Daya is CIO of Bank Zero and one of the most experienced technology leaders in South African financial services. In this conversation we cover the architectural philosophy behind one of the continent’s boldest banking experiments, the real meaning of innovation in a heavily regulated industry, and what AI is actually exposing about the state of technology leadership across the sector.

But the conversation goes further than technology. We talk about power, identity, stewardship and what it means to build something you’ll eventually have to hand to someone else. It’s a rare combination, technical depth and genuine human honesty from a leader at the top of her field.