New York, New York / PRNewswire / -- Blend has announced the formation of its Financial Services Advisory Board, bringing together distinguished industry leaders to drive thought leadership and innovation in AI transformation across the financial services sector.
The newly formed board includes recognized visionaries Alex Sion, Donald Chesnut, Rob Lee, Kabir Sethi, Donie Lochan, and Brett King, who bring decades of combined experience in financial technology, banking, payments, wealth management, and customer experience innovation.
The Advisory Board aims to position Blend at the epicenter of AI-powered transformation in financial services by establishing a powerful thought leadership platform that influences industry direction and shapes market perspectives.
Alex Sion, Financial Services Vertical Leader at Blend, emphasized that the board will focus on three key areas: the broader AI transformation of financial services and client experience, AI's specific impact on wealth and asset management, and AI's influence on payment technologies including cards, networks, and processors.
“In addition to envisioning AI's potential, practical implementation is key, especially in financial services,” said Sion. “We've gathered leading futurists who also happen to be some of the most experienced transformation leaders in the business, leaders who have driven the industry's digital journey to guide us through this AI era.” In his upcoming book, Branch Tomorrow (branchtomorrow.com), advisory board Brett King states that the battle between banks and fintechs is largely over, with the top 20 fintechs serving 4.1 billion customers to the top 20 banks’ 2.7 billion. This only underscores the urgent imperative for Global Fortune 1000 FSIs to embrace AI for transformation and innovation.
The inaugural Advisory Board brings together an impressive roster of financial services innovators, each with unique expertise:
Alex Sion is a pioneering leader in financial services transformation with over two decades of experience across industry giants and fintech innovation. As Financial Services Vertical Leader at Blend, he drives end-to-end AI-driven solutions for the industry. Previously, as digital strategy executive at JP Morgan Chase and innovation leader at Citi Ventures, he championed mobile-first banking solutions. Alex also co-founded Moven, one of the first Neo-Banks, and at Motive Partners, orchestrated strategic partnerships to advance data and AI innovations across the financial services landscape.
“I've been lucky enough to have a front seat for the transformation of financial services by first digital and then mobile, cloud and digital assets. Data and AI transformation will be the largest and most significant of all. I am excited to be collaborating with our Financial Advisory board members, all of whom have had similar journeys but all from different and distinct perspectives.” said Sion.
Donald Chesnut is a leading voice in customer experience strategy with over two decades of shaping digital and physical experiences in both financial services and automotive sectors. As Chief Experience Officer at Mastercard and later General Motors, he championed enterprise-wide customer-centric design, embedding user experience principles into every layer of the business.
"With respect to AI, 'what got us here won't get us there,' so I'm delighted to join Blend360's advisory board to help shape the future of AI-enabled customer experiences across Financial Services," said Chesnut.
Rob Lee is a driving force behind payments innovation and fintech partnerships. As former President of Impact Ventures at FIS and previously Group President responsible for the global banking P&L, he has spearheaded over 100 strategic investments and alliances with emerging technology companies, helping to shape the future of global payments. Under his leadership, FIS also launched a modern, cloud-native core banking solution.
"I'm thrilled to join the advisory board of Blend360, a company that is truly transforming how businesses leverage data and analytics to deliver GenAI solutions at enterprise scale," Lee stated. "Advisory boards play a crucial role in guiding growth-oriented companies, and I'm excited to offer my expertise in banking and payments technology as well as my passion and belief that GenAI solutions can drive meaningful customer-centric outcomes."
Kabir Sethi is a recognized leader in the evolution of digital wealth platforms. As Chief Product Officer at LPL Financial and previously Head of Digital Wealth Management at Merrill Lynch, he has overseen the development and deployment of advisor and client platforms used across the industry. His work reflects a deep focus on user-centric design, platform integration, and the application of emerging technologies.
"I'm delighted to join the Advisory Board of Blend and help them stay at the forefront of AI innovation in financial services," Sethi commented. "With technology transforming how we deliver value, I'm looking forward to helping Blend continue to deliver meaningful impact to their clients."
Donie Lochan has made a lasting impact in the financial services industry through his leadership in emerging technologies, most notably during his tenure as Chief Technology Officer at Invesco. A strong advocate for leveraging AI and machine learning in wealth management, he has helped transform how firms deliver personalized investment strategies, operational efficiencies, and customer-facing digital solutions.
"AI will revolutionize wealth and asset management in ways unparalleled by any previous technology I've encountered throughout my career. Collaborating with Blend and the advisory team is a unique opportunity to shape and steer this transformative journey."
Brett King is a renowned futurist, speaker, and best-selling author whose thought leadership continues to shape the direction of global financial services. As the founder of Moven, one of the first mobile banking startups, and the author of influential books including "Bank 2.0," "Bank 3.0," and "Augmented," he has long predicted the convergence of AI, behavioral data, and digital ecosystems in reshaping how banking is done. Brett challenges institutions to rethink their legacy models and build for the rapidly shifting digital age.
The Advisory Board will convene quarterly for thought leadership forums, where members will collaborate with Blend leadership to develop forward-looking insights on the rapidly evolving financial services landscape. These thought leadership forums will be accessible to Blend clients, prospects, and partners.
According to the board's charter, by 2027, the Advisory Board aims to be recognized as the preeminent voice on AI transformation in financial services, with members regularly featured in major industry forums, publications, and events.
The board will focus on establishing Blend as a defining force in financial services through:
For financial institutions navigating the complex journey of AI adoption, the Advisory Board represents Blend's commitment to providing not just technological solutions but visionary guidance that will help shape the industry's future.
About Blend
Blend is a premier AI services provider, committed to co-creating meaningful impact for its clients through the power of data science, AI, technology, and people. With a mission to fuel bold visions, Blend tackles significant challenges by seamlessly aligning human expertise with artificial intelligence. The company is dedicated to unlocking value and fostering innovation for its clients by harnessing world-class people and data-driven strategy. We believe that the power of people and AI can have a meaningful impact on your world. For more information, visit www.blend360.com
For more information, visit www.blend360.com.
New York, New York / PRNewswire / -- Blend has announced the formation of its Financial Services Advisory Board, bringing together distinguished industry leaders to drive thought leadership and innovation in AI transformation across the financial services sector.
The newly formed board includes recognized visionaries Alex Sion, Donald Chesnut, Rob Lee, Kabir Sethi, Donie Lochan, and Brett King, who bring decades of combined experience in financial technology, banking, payments, wealth management, and customer experience innovation.
The Advisory Board aims to position Blend at the epicenter of AI-powered transformation in financial services by establishing a powerful thought leadership platform that influences industry direction and shapes market perspectives.
Alex Sion, Financial Services Vertical Leader at Blend, emphasized that the board will focus on three key areas: the broader AI transformation of financial services and client experience, AI's specific impact on wealth and asset management, and AI's influence on payment technologies including cards, networks, and processors.
“In addition to envisioning AI's potential, practical implementation is key, especially in financial services,” said Sion. “We've gathered leading futurists who also happen to be some of the most experienced transformation leaders in the business, leaders who have driven the industry's digital journey to guide us through this AI era.” In his upcoming book, Branch Tomorrow (branchtomorrow.com), advisory board Brett King states that the battle between banks and fintechs is largely over, with the top 20 fintechs serving 4.1 billion customers to the top 20 banks’ 2.7 billion. This only underscores the urgent imperative for Global Fortune 1000 FSIs to embrace AI for transformation and innovation.
The inaugural Advisory Board brings together an impressive roster of financial services innovators, each with unique expertise:
Alex Sion is a pioneering leader in financial services transformation with over two decades of experience across industry giants and fintech innovation. As Financial Services Vertical Leader at Blend, he drives end-to-end AI-driven solutions for the industry. Previously, as digital strategy executive at JP Morgan Chase and innovation leader at Citi Ventures, he championed mobile-first banking solutions. Alex also co-founded Moven, one of the first Neo-Banks, and at Motive Partners, orchestrated strategic partnerships to advance data and AI innovations across the financial services landscape.
“I've been lucky enough to have a front seat for the transformation of financial services by first digital and then mobile, cloud and digital assets. Data and AI transformation will be the largest and most significant of all. I am excited to be collaborating with our Financial Advisory board members, all of whom have had similar journeys but all from different and distinct perspectives.” said Sion.
Donald Chesnut is a leading voice in customer experience strategy with over two decades of shaping digital and physical experiences in both financial services and automotive sectors. As Chief Experience Officer at Mastercard and later General Motors, he championed enterprise-wide customer-centric design, embedding user experience principles into every layer of the business.
"With respect to AI, 'what got us here won't get us there,' so I'm delighted to join Blend360's advisory board to help shape the future of AI-enabled customer experiences across Financial Services," said Chesnut.
Rob Lee is a driving force behind payments innovation and fintech partnerships. As former President of Impact Ventures at FIS and previously Group President responsible for the global banking P&L, he has spearheaded over 100 strategic investments and alliances with emerging technology companies, helping to shape the future of global payments. Under his leadership, FIS also launched a modern, cloud-native core banking solution.
"I'm thrilled to join the advisory board of Blend360, a company that is truly transforming how businesses leverage data and analytics to deliver GenAI solutions at enterprise scale," Lee stated. "Advisory boards play a crucial role in guiding growth-oriented companies, and I'm excited to offer my expertise in banking and payments technology as well as my passion and belief that GenAI solutions can drive meaningful customer-centric outcomes."
Kabir Sethi is a recognized leader in the evolution of digital wealth platforms. As Chief Product Officer at LPL Financial and previously Head of Digital Wealth Management at Merrill Lynch, he has overseen the development and deployment of advisor and client platforms used across the industry. His work reflects a deep focus on user-centric design, platform integration, and the application of emerging technologies.
"I'm delighted to join the Advisory Board of Blend and help them stay at the forefront of AI innovation in financial services," Sethi commented. "With technology transforming how we deliver value, I'm looking forward to helping Blend continue to deliver meaningful impact to their clients."
Donie Lochan has made a lasting impact in the financial services industry through his leadership in emerging technologies, most notably during his tenure as Chief Technology Officer at Invesco. A strong advocate for leveraging AI and machine learning in wealth management, he has helped transform how firms deliver personalized investment strategies, operational efficiencies, and customer-facing digital solutions.
"AI will revolutionize wealth and asset management in ways unparalleled by any previous technology I've encountered throughout my career. Collaborating with Blend and the advisory team is a unique opportunity to shape and steer this transformative journey."
Brett King is a renowned futurist, speaker, and best-selling author whose thought leadership continues to shape the direction of global financial services. As the founder of Moven, one of the first mobile banking startups, and the author of influential books including "Bank 2.0," "Bank 3.0," and "Augmented," he has long predicted the convergence of AI, behavioral data, and digital ecosystems in reshaping how banking is done. Brett challenges institutions to rethink their legacy models and build for the rapidly shifting digital age.
The Advisory Board will convene quarterly for thought leadership forums, where members will collaborate with Blend leadership to develop forward-looking insights on the rapidly evolving financial services landscape. These thought leadership forums will be accessible to Blend clients, prospects, and partners.
According to the board's charter, by 2027, the Advisory Board aims to be recognized as the preeminent voice on AI transformation in financial services, with members regularly featured in major industry forums, publications, and events.
The board will focus on establishing Blend as a defining force in financial services through:
For financial institutions navigating the complex journey of AI adoption, the Advisory Board represents Blend's commitment to providing not just technological solutions but visionary guidance that will help shape the industry's future.
About Blend
Blend is a premier AI services provider, committed to co-creating meaningful impact for its clients through the power of data science, AI, technology, and people. With a mission to fuel bold visions, Blend tackles significant challenges by seamlessly aligning human expertise with artificial intelligence. The company is dedicated to unlocking value and fostering innovation for its clients by harnessing world-class people and data-driven strategy. We believe that the power of people and AI can have a meaningful impact on your world. For more information, visit www.blend360.com
For more information, visit www.blend360.com.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Sit sit vel eu sed proin. Arcu bibendum in mauris urna erat magna volutpat eget. Lectus commodo consectetur egestas quis ut lobortis nunc.
.png)
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Sit sit vel eu sed proin. Arcu bibendum in mauris urna erat magna volutpat eget. Lectus commodo consectetur egestas quis ut lobortis nunc.
.png)
.png)
