Serendipity and Leadership: My Chat with Gabriele Columbro

One of the moments that set the tone for my day happened on the stairs between sessions: I bumped into Gabriele Columbro, Executive Director of FINOS. We talked about Fidelity’s approach to open source and the evolution happening across finance. Gab has the rare ability of connecting strategic vision with grassroots developer passion. It’s easy to see why FINOS, under his leadership, has become the anchor for open source collaboration in financial services.

Themes That Defined OSFF London 2025

Reading through my post-events notes, a few themes consistently stole the spotlight:

AI Governance & Common Controls  

FINOS announced its Common Controls for AI Services initiative, with support from big names like BMO, Citi, Microsoft, RBC, Google Cloud, and AWS. The message: if we want trustworthy, scalable AI, we need open, shared frameworks—no one can build this alone.

Regulatory Readiness 

The buzz around secure software supply chains, SBOMs, and compliance tied directly to new regulations like DORA and the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act. Open governance isn’t just best practice—it’s fast becoming mandatory.

Standards & Interoperability

FDC3 was everywhere! Desktop interoperability, CDM-driven workflows, and harmonizing data standards were front and center. These frameworks are the glue holding ambitious, multi-institution projects together.

Real-World Use Cases 

Some sessions moved beyond theory. OS-Climate’s PhysRisk, TimeBase for trade surveillance, and modernization stories from NatWest, Goldman Sachs, and RBC showed open source driving real results, not just experimentation.

OpenAI’s Role in Finance 

A recurring debate: In one of the keynotes I  attended the speaker flashed up a slide with a quote from OpenAI’s Sam Altman. It read “Is OpenAI on the right side of history?”.  It was thought provoking. There are tough questions about transparency and the future of “open” AI—are the biggest players really serving the community, or is the gap widening? 

Google Cloud’s A2A Donation  

Google Cloud’s decision to donate its Agent-to-Agent (A2A) platform to the Linux Foundation was a headline-grabber. It’s a major vote of confidence in open infrastructure for critical financial workflows.

My Session: Recognition as the Missing Ingredient

In the afternoon, I had the chance to share my perspective on why recognition matters in open source communities. The room was packed—over 50 people—and the Q&A after was genuinely engaging. Fintech is at an inflection point: companies are moving from just consuming open source to actually contributing. But that leap requires a shift—internal communities, new infrastructure, and a culture that celebrates contributors.

Recognition goes beyond applause. It means building open source ownership into performance reviews, showcasing contributions, and making sure engineers know their work is valued. Judging by the thoughtful questions and feedback after my talk, this idea resonated.

Four Takeaways That Stuck With Me

1. People and Culture Are as Important as Tech

Technical standards matter, but nurturing an internal culture where engineers feel seen and supported is often the bigger challenge.

2. Open, Shared Governance Is Accelerating

FINOS’s AI Governance Framework and Common Controls initiatives show how open standardization is moving from concept to reality.

3. Practical Tools Drive Real Adoption 

Projects like TimeBase, PhysRisk, and GitProxy aren’t just proof-of-concept—they’re delivering measurable value in compliance, risk, and productivity.

4. Momentum Builds More Momentum 

As organizations commit to open source, the feedback loop of recognition, culture, and contribution becomes self-sustaining.

Final thoughts:  What OSFF London Means for Fintech

If you work at a financial institution just starting with open source, OSFF London 2025 offered some clear lessons:

• Make contributor recognition and visibility a priority—give people reasons and platforms to engage.
• Leverage FINOS’s strategic projects, especially around AI governance, CDM, Common Controls, and FDC3 standards.
• Pay attention to real-world case studies—they show how open frameworks drive business value, not just technical progress.

I left OSFF London energized. The sense of shared purpose and practical momentum—the feeling that open source in finance is moving from “why?” to “how?”—is stronger than ever.

Fidelity Investments and Linux Foundation are separate companies. Unless otherwise noted, the opinions provided are those of the speakers, not necessarily those of Fidelity Investments or its affiliates.