Episode 21
Legacy's a Hell of a Drug
September 4, 2026
1h 7m
In this episode, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti sit down with Javier Flores to talk about how wealth management firms can move from legacy systems to AI orchestration and agents that actually execute work across the tech stack. They unpack what gets in the way, why legacy technology still matters, and what it will take for agentic workflows to work at enterprise scale. A candid look at where the industry is today and where it may be heading next.
Summary
In Episode 21, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti are joined by Javier Flores, who brings experience across Bloomberg, Advent, Addepar, BlackRock, and SS&C. They talk about what it really takes for wealth management firms to move beyond legacy systems and start using AI agents in real workflows. The conversation covers why AI pilots are easy to start but hard to scale, how agents can work across different systems, and where clear rules still matter alongside generative AI. They also get into agent-to-agent workflows, human oversight, siloed data, and why Excel is still everywhere in financial firms. The episode looks at how AI can help firms grow without adding people at the same pace, while shifting employees away from manual work and toward managing and improving the systems around them.
Key Topics Covered
- Javier Flores’s career across fintech and his early days working with Haik at Addepar
- How wealth management shifted from legacy software to cloud platforms
- Why AI pilots are easy to launch but much harder to scale across an enterprise
- How agents can act as connective tissue across legacy systems
- Why agent-to-agent orchestration could become the next enterprise layer
- How firms can move from dashboards and insights toward AI that actually executes work
- Why Excel still remains a core part of financial operations
- The future of wealthtech through natural language, AI agents, and evolving roles
Timecode
00:00 Guest welcome: Introduction to Javier Flores
01:23 Javier’s career across fintech
04:56 Fitness, pressure, and early Addepar stories
14:14 From legacy technology to AI adoption
16:31 Data platforms, AI pilots, and the challenge of scaling
19:28 Agents as connective tissue across legacy systems
26:18 Data fragmentation and the problem of multiple sources of truth
28:50 Finding the right balance between AI and traditional logic
30:54 Agent-to-agent orchestration and the future of enterprise workflows
39:18 AI note takers, execution, and real business value
44:40 Industry shifts, AI adoption, and changing roles
49:59 Natural language, AI builders, and why Excel still wins
58:29 What Javier likes about the industry and what he wants to change
1:03:15 Where AI could take us beyond wealthtech
1:06:52 Final thoughts and closing
About Guest
Javier Flores
Solutions Management Leader
Javier Flores, has spent his career at the intersection of financial services, enterprise technology, and operations. He has held multiple roles across leading companies including Bloomberg, Advent, Addepar, BlackRock, and SS&C, giving him a close-up view of how financial firms adopt and evolve technology over time.
His experience spans the front, middle, and back office, working across RIAs and family offices, asset managers, hedge funds, and institutional investors. Along the way, he has worked closely with leadership teams on complex technology decisions, operational challenges, and large-scale implementations. That experience has given Javier a strong understanding of how new technologies are adopted within complex financial organizations and legacy environments. Today, his focus is increasingly on the role AI and agentic technology can play in reshaping workflows, operations, and the way financial firms work.
Where to find Javier Flores:
If you want to follow Javier’s work or connect directly:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javier-flores-b2b2a17/
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© 2026 Zero Basis Points. All rights reserved.
Episode 21
Legacy's a Hell of a Drug
September 4, 2026
1h 7m
In this episode, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti sit down with Javier Flores to talk about how wealth management firms can move from legacy systems to AI orchestration and agents that actually execute work across the tech stack. They unpack what gets in the way, why legacy technology still matters, and what it will take for agentic workflows to work at enterprise scale. A candid look at where the industry is today and where it may be heading next.
Summary
In Episode 21, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti are joined by Javier Flores, who brings experience across Bloomberg, Advent, Addepar, BlackRock, and SS&C. They talk about what it really takes for wealth management firms to move beyond legacy systems and start using AI agents in real workflows. The conversation covers why AI pilots are easy to start but hard to scale, how agents can work across different systems, and where clear rules still matter alongside generative AI. They also get into agent-to-agent workflows, human oversight, siloed data, and why Excel is still everywhere in financial firms. The episode looks at how AI can help firms grow without adding people at the same pace, while shifting employees away from manual work and toward managing and improving the systems around them.
Key Topics Covered
- Javier Flores’s career across fintech and his early days working with Haik at Addepar
- How wealth management shifted from legacy software to cloud platforms
- Why AI pilots are easy to launch but much harder to scale across an enterprise
- How agents can act as connective tissue across legacy systems
- Why agent-to-agent orchestration could become the next enterprise layer
- How firms can move from dashboards and insights toward AI that actually executes work
- Why Excel still remains a core part of financial operations
- The future of wealthtech through natural language, AI agents, and evolving roles
Timecode
00:00 Guest welcome: Introduction to Javier Flores
01:23 Javier’s career across fintech
04:56 Fitness, pressure, and early Addepar stories
14:14 From legacy technology to AI adoption
16:31 Data platforms, AI pilots, and the challenge of scaling
19:28 Agents as connective tissue across legacy systems
26:18 Data fragmentation and the problem of multiple sources of truth
28:50 Finding the right balance between AI and traditional logic
30:54 Agent-to-agent orchestration and the future of enterprise workflows
39:18 AI note takers, execution, and real business value
44:40 Industry shifts, AI adoption, and changing roles
49:59 Natural language, AI builders, and why Excel still wins
58:29 What Javier likes about the industry and what he wants to change
1:03:15 Where AI could take us beyond wealthtech
1:06:52 Final thoughts and closing
About Guest
Javier Flores
Solutions Management Leader
Javier Flores, has spent his career at the intersection of financial services, enterprise technology, and operations. He has held multiple roles across leading companies including Bloomberg, Advent, Addepar, BlackRock, and SS&C, giving him a close-up view of how financial firms adopt and evolve technology over time.
His experience spans the front, middle, and back office, working across RIAs and family offices, asset managers, hedge funds, and institutional investors. Along the way, he has worked closely with leadership teams on complex technology decisions, operational challenges, and large-scale implementations. That experience has given Javier a strong understanding of how new technologies are adopted within complex financial organizations and legacy environments. Today, his focus is increasingly on the role AI and agentic technology can play in reshaping workflows, operations, and the way financial firms work.
Where to find Javier Flores:
If you want to follow Javier’s work or connect directly:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javier-flores-b2b2a17/
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe for episode drops, behind-the-scenes notes, and insights
we couldn’t say on air.
Zero Basis Points
Follow Zero Basis Points on your favourite platform.
Subscribe
Subscribe to get the latest episodes and exclusive content.
© 2026 Zero Basis Points. All rights reserved.
Episode 21
Legacy's a Hell of a Drug
September 4, 2026
1h 7m
In this episode, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti sit down with Javier Flores to talk about how wealth management firms can move from legacy systems to AI orchestration and agents that actually execute work across the tech stack. They unpack what gets in the way, why legacy technology still matters, and what it will take for agentic workflows to work at enterprise scale. A candid look at where the industry is today and where it may be heading next.
Summary
In Episode 21, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti are joined by Javier Flores, who brings experience across Bloomberg, Advent, Addepar, BlackRock, and SS&C. They talk about what it really takes for wealth management firms to move beyond legacy systems and start using AI agents in real workflows. The conversation covers why AI pilots are easy to start but hard to scale, how agents can work across different systems, and where clear rules still matter alongside generative AI. They also get into agent-to-agent workflows, human oversight, siloed data, and why Excel is still everywhere in financial firms. The episode looks at how AI can help firms grow without adding people at the same pace, while shifting employees away from manual work and toward managing and improving the systems around them.
Key Topics Covered
- Javier Flores’s career across fintech and his early days working with Haik at Addepar
- How wealth management shifted from legacy software to cloud platforms
- Why AI pilots are easy to launch but much harder to scale across an enterprise
- How agents can act as connective tissue across legacy systems
- Why agent-to-agent orchestration could become the next enterprise layer
- How firms can move from dashboards and insights toward AI that actually executes work
- Why Excel still remains a core part of financial operations
- The future of wealthtech through natural language, AI agents, and evolving roles
Timecode
00:00 Guest welcome: Introduction to Javier Flores
01:23 Javier’s career across fintech
04:56 Fitness, pressure, and early Addepar stories
14:14 From legacy technology to AI adoption
16:31 Data platforms, AI pilots, and the challenge of scaling
19:28 Agents as connective tissue across legacy systems
26:18 Data fragmentation and the problem of multiple sources of truth
28:50 Finding the right balance between AI and traditional logic
30:54 Agent-to-agent orchestration and the future of enterprise workflows
39:18 AI note takers, execution, and real business value
44:40 Industry shifts, AI adoption, and changing roles
49:59 Natural language, AI builders, and why Excel still wins
58:29 What Javier likes about the industry and what he wants to change
1:03:15 Where AI could take us beyond wealthtech
1:06:52 Final thoughts and closing
About Guest
Javier Flores
Solutions Management Leader
Javier Flores, has spent his career at the intersection of financial services, enterprise technology, and operations. He has held multiple roles across leading companies including Bloomberg, Advent, Addepar, BlackRock, and SS&C, giving him a close-up view of how financial firms adopt and evolve technology over time.
His experience spans the front, middle, and back office, working across RIAs and family offices, asset managers, hedge funds, and institutional investors. Along the way, he has worked closely with leadership teams on complex technology decisions, operational challenges, and large-scale implementations. That experience has given Javier a strong understanding of how new technologies are adopted within complex financial organizations and legacy environments. Today, his focus is increasingly on the role AI and agentic technology can play in reshaping workflows, operations, and the way financial firms work.
Where to find Javier Flores:
If you want to follow Javier’s work or connect directly:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javier-flores-b2b2a17/
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe for episode drops, behind-the-scenes notes, and insights
we couldn’t say on air.
Zero Basis Points
Follow Zero Basis Points on your favourite platform.
Subscribe
Subscribe to get the latest episodes and exclusive content.
© 2026 Zero Basis Points. All rights reserved.
Episode 21
Legacy's a Hell of a Drug
September 4, 2026
1h 7m
In this episode, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti sit down with Javier Flores to talk about how wealth management firms can move from legacy systems to AI orchestration and agents that actually execute work across the tech stack. They unpack what gets in the way, why legacy technology still matters, and what it will take for agentic workflows to work at enterprise scale. A candid look at where the industry is today and where it may be heading next.
Summary
In Episode 21, Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti are joined by Javier Flores, who brings experience across Bloomberg, Advent, Addepar, BlackRock, and SS&C. They talk about what it really takes for wealth management firms to move beyond legacy systems and start using AI agents in real workflows. The conversation covers why AI pilots are easy to start but hard to scale, how agents can work across different systems, and where clear rules still matter alongside generative AI. They also get into agent-to-agent workflows, human oversight, siloed data, and why Excel is still everywhere in financial firms. The episode looks at how AI can help firms grow without adding people at the same pace, while shifting employees away from manual work and toward managing and improving the systems around them.
Key Topics Covered
- Javier Flores’s career across fintech and his early days working with Haik at Addepar
- How wealth management shifted from legacy software to cloud platforms
- Why AI pilots are easy to launch but much harder to scale across an enterprise
- How agents can act as connective tissue across legacy systems
- Why agent-to-agent orchestration could become the next enterprise layer
- How firms can move from dashboards and insights toward AI that actually executes work
- Why Excel still remains a core part of financial operations
- The future of wealthtech through natural language, AI agents, and evolving roles
Timecode
00:00 Guest welcome: Introduction to Javier Flores
01:23 Javier’s career across fintech
04:56 Fitness, pressure, and early Addepar stories
14:14 From legacy technology to AI adoption
16:31 Data platforms, AI pilots, and the challenge of scaling
19:28 Agents as connective tissue across legacy systems
26:18 Data fragmentation and the problem of multiple sources of truth
28:50 Finding the right balance between AI and traditional logic
30:54 Agent-to-agent orchestration and the future of enterprise workflows
39:18 AI note takers, execution, and real business value
44:40 Industry shifts, AI adoption, and changing roles
49:59 Natural language, AI builders, and why Excel still wins
58:29 What Javier likes about the industry and what he wants to change
1:03:15 Where AI could take us beyond wealthtech
1:06:52 Final thoughts and closing
About Guest
Javier Flores
Solutions Management Leader
Javier Flores, has spent his career at the intersection of financial services, enterprise technology, and operations. He has held multiple roles across leading companies including Bloomberg, Advent, Addepar, BlackRock, and SS&C, giving him a close-up view of how financial firms adopt and evolve technology over time.
His experience spans the front, middle, and back office, working across RIAs and family offices, asset managers, hedge funds, and institutional investors. Along the way, he has worked closely with leadership teams on complex technology decisions, operational challenges, and large-scale implementations. That experience has given Javier a strong understanding of how new technologies are adopted within complex financial organizations and legacy environments. Today, his focus is increasingly on the role AI and agentic technology can play in reshaping workflows, operations, and the way financial firms work.
Where to find Javier Flores:
If you want to follow Javier’s work or connect directly:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javier-flores-b2b2a17/
Never Miss an Episode
Subscribe for episode drops, behind-the-scenes notes, and insights
we couldn’t say on air.
Zero Basis Points
Follow Zero Basis Points on your favourite platform.
Subscribe
Subscribe to get the latest episodes and exclusive content.
© 2026 Zero Basis Points. All rights reserved.