Finastra is taking a major step in scaling its artificial intelligence strategy — launching a centralized AI Center of Excellence (COE) and appointing Chris McClellen as SVP, Group Head of AI, reporting directly to CTO Mike Stawchansky.
The COE will unify AI efforts currently spread across engineering, product, and operations teams — creating a single, coordinated framework for developing and deploying AI capabilities at scale. The goal: move faster, share best practices, and ensure consistent, compliant AI innovation across the organization.
What the COE Will Focus On:
Coordinating AI initiatives across all business units
Accelerating product innovation in lending, payments, and banking
Embedding scalable, regulated AI frameworks into core infrastructure
Expanding hiring in key tech hubs — Atlanta and India
McClellen brings deep experience in AI strategy, enterprise software, and data platforms across complex, regulated environments — making him well-suited to translate Finastra's existing AI talent into tangible product outcomes.
Chris Walters, CEO of Finastra, said: "We already have a tremendous amount of AI talent and innovation across Finastra. Establishing the AI Center of Excellence allows us to bring that expertise together while continuing to grow it... AI has the potential to deliver significant value to our customers, and this structure helps us move faster."
McClellen added: "Finastra has already built a strong foundation of work across the company. I'm excited to help bring these efforts together and support the continued development of AI capabilities."
Trusted by 7,000+ customers — including 40 of the world's top 50 banks — Finastra's COE signals that AI in core banking is moving from experimentation to enterprise-wide execution.