**Breaking News: Nordea Exec Warns Banks Risk Modernisation Failures Without Staff Upskilling**
Nordea’s Head of Transaction Banking Allan Kismeyer issued a stark warning at EBAday 2026 that financial institutions are jeopardizing their digital transformation efforts by neglecting employee training. Speaking to FinextraTV, Kismeyer emphasized that technical infrastructure upgrades alone will not deliver competitive advantage without parallel investment in workforce development.
The banking executive highlighted that successfully navigating fragmented value chains requires specialized staff capabilities across different operational areas. Kismeyer stressed that banks must prioritize training programs to ensure employees can effectively utilize new technologies and processes, warning that the human element represents a critical bottleneck in modernisation journeys.
The comments come as banks globally accelerate technology spending while talent gaps widen, creating operational risks that could undermine transformation initiatives and customer service delivery.
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FXnCO Insight
** Banks failing to budget equally for workforce upskilling alongside technology investments face heightened operational risk and potential competitive disadvantage as digital transformation accelerates across the sector.
Source: Finextra