Hemali Shah

Lead enterprise digital transformation through secure data-sharing ecosystems, and scalable API platforms. Drive modernization across outbound data sharing, API marketplace delivery, and inbound data aggregation to enable a next-generation, data-powered financial ecosystem.

Outbound Data Sharing (Data + API-Driven Modernization)

• Architected enterprise strategy for outbound data sharing, driving 90% migration from screen scraping to secure API-based data transfer.
• Defined modern onboarding criteria for data aggregators with Legal, TPRM, Compliance, and Risk, establishing a new governance model for data-driven partnerships.
• Chaired the Open Banking taskforce, aligning 26+ stakeholders across product, engineering, data, cybersecurity, and risk to accelerate transformation
• Built and scaled a high-performing Open Banking product team
• Strengthened Regions’ industry influence as a national speaker/panelist on API ecosystems, secure data exchange, and AI-enabled financial innovation.
• Eliminated $585K/year in unnecessary vendor spend through data-driven analysis of application-tier misclassification.
• API Marketplace & Open Banking Portal (Platform + Data Infrastructure Leadership)
• Delivered a frictionless, secure customer data-sharing experience with full transparency and consent management, enabling AI-ready data flows and reducing fraud exposure.
• Drove readiness across all lower environments and aligned enterprise stakeholders for the Q2 2026 launch of the Open Banking Portal & API Marketplace.
• Led tokenization strategy, resolving architectural constraints and establishing a secure, scalable foundation for future AI-enabled payments and identity modernization.

Inbound Data Aggregation (AI-Ready Data Ecosystem Leadership)

• Led the Inbound Data Aggregation RFP, positioning Regions for a modernized, and secure data-exchange ecosystem supporting AI-driven personalization and risk insights.
• Defined the problem statement and 7–8 high-value use cases prioritization (money movement, customer experience, fraud reduction, operational efficiency).
• Conducted cost analysis and evaluated vendor proliferation to shape a scalable, future-proof inbound data-exchange strategy.
• Built enterprise data aggregation business case demonstrating 35–71% long-term cost savings through API reuse, data standardization, and platform consolidation.

• Built and scaled Regions’ Digital API Channel, defining operating model, governance, and roadmap aligned to enterprise digital transformation. Set the vision and value proposition for a reusable, resilient API ecosystem that breaks silos and reduces monolithic dependencies.
• Drove enterprise awareness and adoption through enhanced customer engagement, positioning the API Channel as the strategic backend for numerous customer-facing and internal applications.
• Influenced organizational design during a major reorg, resulting in multiple API teams being merged under a single organization to deliver proper oversight, governance, and unified API strategy.
• Grew the API portfolio by 63%, reaching 18 APIs and 185 endpoints.
• Emphasized the importance of API lifecycle and led team to deliver API catalogue, API analytics, API governance

• Led a team of 6–8 data scientists delivering enterprise-scale AI/ML solutions that advanced Regions’ digital transformation across Consumer and Wealth portfolios.
• Directed end-to-end design, development, and deployment of large-scale AI/ML models, strengthening Regions’ data-driven decisioning capabilities.
• Improved customer retention to 94%, generating $2M YOY revenue impact through predictive modeling and targeted engagement strategies.
• Delivered models that expanded share of wallet across credit and Investment Management Trust portfolios, contributing $1M+ incremental revenue.
• Built prospecting models for Investment Services, enabling more precise targeting and higher conversion opportunities.
• Drove personalization initiatives by leveraging omnichannel engagement data to enhance customer experience and deepen digital relationships.
• Led development of the Regions Income Aggregator, improving data quality and enabling downstream AI/ML use cases.
• Partnered closely with business units, data engineering, data product teams, model validation, risk, and compliance to ensure scalable, well-governed AI delivery in a regulated environment.

• Delivered high-impact predictive models and enterprise data products that strengthened Regions’ AI and analytics foundation.
• Led the proof-of-concept for Customer DNA, creating a unified customer view and presenting directly to the CEO and executive leadership—establishing it as an enterprise-level transformation initiative.
• Designed, developed, and deployed the Mortgage Propensity Model, achieving 2.5x performance improvement over a high-cost vendor model and generating $1M incremental revenue in its first year.
• Played a pivotal role in redevelopment of the Mortgage Loss Model, improving loss estimation by 20+ basis points (~$30M impact) over nine quarters—critical for CECL compliance.
• Delivered advanced predictive models across credit, retention, and customer engagement.
• Collaborated with cross-functional partners to ensure model governance, regulatory alignment, and operational readiness for enterprise deployment.