James Owens: Transitioning to FinTech, Building AI Solutions, and Modernizing Lending

James Owens is the Chief Technology Officer for Xactus. Over his nearly 30-year career, James has used technology to solve complex business problems, applying innovation to provide businesses with strategic differentiation and building high-performing technology teams. In this conversation, we explored his transition from software development to the mortgage industry, his experiences in process reengineering during the 2008 financial crisis, and his role in modernizing lending systems. We also discuss the cultural and technological shifts at Xactus, the creation of an internal AI chatbot named Zelda, and the future of AI technologies.

EPISODE LINKS:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-owens-cmt-06262/
• Website: https://xactus.com/

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00:12 Intro and background 00:04:14 Shifting to the Mortgage Industry 00:09:31 Consulting and Process Reengineering 00:16:33 Process engineering vs. process improvement 00:21:57 Building a Credit Card Company in nine months 00:25:38 Comparison Between Startups and Large Corporations 00:28:04 Xactus 00:30:29 Understanding the Mortgage Industry 00:33:50 Shifting to a FinTech Culture 00:36:45 Empowering Change: Agile Cultural Transformation 00:41:32 Generative AI 00:44:57 Building and Implementing Zelda 00:51:27 AI and Technology Roadmaps 00:55:44 Future of AI and Personal Assistants 00:59:52 Conclusion

CONNECT:

• Website: https://hoo.be/elijahmurray
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elijahmurray
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/elijahmurray
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elijahmurray
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahmurray/
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-game-w-elijah-murray/
• Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elijahmurray
• RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/3e31c0c/podcast/rss