How M&T Bank Built a Technology-First Culture with Michael Wisler

Technology transformation isn’t about AI, it’s about building the foundations that make AI possible.

In this episode of Technovation, Peter High sits down with Michael Wisler, Senior Executive Vice President of Technology and Operations at M&T Bank, to explore how the bank spent nearly a decade rebuilding its engineering culture, reducing technical debt, modernizing its data foundation, and transforming technology into a strategic business capability.

Wisler explains why changing organizational beliefs came before changing technology, how M&T dramatically improved engineering productivity and resiliency, why technology and operations now belong together, and how those investments positioned the bank to scale generative AI responsibly.

Key discussion topics include:

• Building a technology-first culture
• Reducing technical debt and improving resiliency
• Developing enterprise engineering talent
• Creating technology hubs in Buffalo and Wilmington
• Preparing data foundations for AI
• Scaling generative AI responsibly
• Integrating technology and operations
• Cybersecurity and quantum readiness

Whether you’re leading digital transformation, modernizing enterprise technology, or developing an AI strategy, this conversation offers practical lessons on why long-term competitive advantage begins with strong engineering foundations.

This episode is presented by ElevenLabs — Bringing technology to life. Learn more at elevenlabs.io