Each year, the SAS Finance Analytics School (SAS FAS4S) brings students inside the real world of financial decisioning – far beyond what any classroom lecture can offer.
It’s a rare chance to see how analytics, AI and fraud prevention actually work inside banks, public institutions, and regulatory environments. That’s what makes programs like this so important: they bridge the gap between academic theory and the technologies shaping the future of finance.
Leading this turned out to be much more than organizing lectures. It became a journey into how SAS shapes the future of finance, fraud prevention and ethical AI. Here’s what truly surprised and inspired me along the way.
When I was challenged to lead the school, I thought I knew what to expect: a mix of guest lectures, panel discussions and a few hands-on workshops. I was absolutely ready. But what I didn’t anticipate was what truly left me inspired: just how profoundly SAS is shaping the finance industry.
Listening, learning and leading
Coming from a sales background, I’ve always believed that listening is where true understanding begins. By listening to my sales and presales colleagues, I realized that the best way to approach this initiative was to understand why our customers are so loyal to SAS and what SAS is doing for the finance industry in ways that inspire the next generation of professionals.
And it wasn’t just finance. Around the same time, another group of students joined the Life Science Analytics Summer School, where they discovered how analytics and AI are transforming health care and pharmaceutical innovation. Together, these two summer schools became a shared journey of learning, collaboration and curiosity across industries.
A glimpse into the depth of SAS’ financial reach
During those three immersive days, I learned firsthand how SAS doesn’t just support analytics, it powers critical decisions that safeguard money, integrity and trust.
- Fraud fighting at scale: From banks to government institutions, SAS’ AI-driven systems continually detect fraudulent activity with precision. Real-time models help reduce fraud and false positives dramatically, enabling institutions to respond proactively to emerging threats.
- Intelligent, transparent decisioning: Tools like SAS® Viya® allow institutions to monitor workflows with full governance and transparency, critical in regulated environments like banking and public agencies.
- Revolutionizing risk and regulation: Through intelligent AI and risk modeling, SAS empowers banks to predict liquidity skews and market threats, protecting institutions and, ultimately, stakeholders.
- Tax fraud detection and protecting public revenue: I was astonished to discover that government bodies use SAS Tax Compliance to catch tax evasion early, disrupting schemes before they spiral. Now that’s AI that matters.
- Learning through experience, not just slides: Our students didn’t just hear about innovation, they lived it.
After spending time in discussion, lectures and hands-on exploration, the students moved through a series of sessions that brought the concepts of modern finance analytics to life. Each session offered something different – from technical depth to career inspiration – and together they created a complete, end-to-end learning experience.
Some of the standout moments included:
- AI in fraud prevention: A session demonstrating how advanced AI techniques strengthen defenses in high-risk financial environments.
- A student–professional panel: An opportunity for students to meet early-career talent and experienced SAS professionals to understand real-life career paths in finance analytics.
- Enforcement and compliance challenges: A practical look at how analytics supports regulatory requirements and day-to-day compliance work.
- Modernizing the public sector: An exploration of how AI increases efficiency and accountability across tax and public finance functions.
- Finance operations deep dive: A walkthrough of how analytics powers the daily work inside a modern financial institution.
- From data to decisions: A guided tour of the analytics lifecycle, showing how raw data becomes insight and action.
- A skill-builder roadmap: Clear guidance on how students can continue developing fraud analytics expertise after the program.
- Visual exploration: A session illustrating how data visualization reveals patterns, anomalies, and opportunities within financial datasets.
- Career motivation and mindset: A conversation that helped students connect analytical skills to long-term roles and opportunities in the finance sector.
- Hands-on fraud modeling: One of the most engaging moments of the program — students built dashboards and predictive models themselves, generating real insights and making informed decisions based on the data.
Why SAS’ role went beyond my expectations
I have always known that SAS is a leader in analytics. But now I see that SAS is everywhere. It is integral in the moves banks make, in the systems that fight fraud, in the software that powers modern finance and in ethical innovation itself.
What’s next – for me and the students
I leave this experience energized. My goal now is to help students turn this momentum into action.
The upcoming SAS Workshop for Students is the next step: a hands-on, fraud-focused modeling experience that builds on everything we started.
I’m also exploring the idea of launching a SAS Specialization in Finance – a challenge I’m lining up for 2026.
Finally, if you were part of SAS FAS4S (or simply curious how analytics can shape your financial career), know this: there’s so much more ahead.
Stay curious.
Stay analytical.
And above all, stay engaged.
Couldn’t join us live?
You can still dive into the key moments and insights anytime, on demand:
Let’s stay connected! If you have questions about SAS FAS4S or would like to stay updated on upcoming initiatives and opportunities for students, please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.
