Banks and fintechs are turning to AI to assist enhance buyer experiences, however the high quality and accessibility of their information have gotten essential to profitable implementation. For credit score unions, which regularly compete with bigger banks working with considerably larger expertise budgets, AI presents a chance to ship extra personalised providers, anticipate member wants, and cut back friction throughout digital channels. However so as to attain these advantages, corporations want to begin by constructing the information infrastructure wanted to help them.
At FinovateFall 2026, we sat down with Courtney Rowan, then Chief Digital and Transformation Officer at Citadel Credit score Union, to debate how credit score unions can use AI, buyer information platforms, and modernized infrastructure to rework member experiences. Throughout our dialog, we explored the shift from reactive banking to proactive monetary providers, the position of unified member profiles in delivering individualized experiences, and why credit score unions’ organizational agility might give them a bonus as AI reshapes the aggressive panorama.
“I’m a real believer that the information must be rectified first,” stated Rowna. “I feel with out the information being organized, you’re going to get a fantastic piece of expertise and it’s not going to have the ability to execute what you want.”
Rowan has spent greater than 20 years at Citadel Credit score Union, starting her profession as a name middle consultant in 1999. She subsequently held roles in department operations, advertising, and digital expertise, finally turning into Vice President of Digital Expertise. In Might 2024, she was promoted to Chief Digital and Transformation Officer, the place she helped lead the credit score union’s digital technique and broader enterprise transformation initiatives. Earlier this fall, Rowan started serving as Citadel’s Chief Development Officer.
Headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, Citadel Credit score Union is a member-owned monetary establishment serving greater than 290,000 members. Based in 1937, the credit score union has roughly $6.9 billion in property and supplies banking, lending, funding, and insurance coverage providers. Citadel serves members all through southeastern Pennsylvania and presents membership eligibility throughout a number of neighboring states.
Picture by Masood Aslami
