Chris McClellen appointed to oversee Finastra’s new AI Centre of Excellence

Previously at PluralSight, McClellen has been named SVP and group head of AI, and will report directly to Finastra’s chief technology officer, Mike Stawchansky.

Financial software provider Finastra has established an AI Centre of Excellence (COE) to “help coordinate AI initiatives, share best practices, and accelerate innovation across the organisation”, according to a company statement.

The initiative will “draw on resources from engineering, product and other teams, creating a more connected approach to accelerating the development and application of AI capabilities across the company”, continues the statement.

The COE will be led by Chris McClellen, who has been appointed as SVP and group head of AI, reporting directly to chief technology officer (CTO) Mike Stawchansky.

McClellen joins from Pluralsight, where he has served as chief product and technology officer since April 2024. Prior to that, his career also includes roles as CTO at Avantax and BoomTown, as well as digital technology officer at the Weather Channel.

Finastra, headquartered in London, provides a range of financial products spanning banking, payments, lending, treasury, and capital markets. The company also offers a suite of generative AI tools, such as an AI assistant, document maker, and AI academy tool.