What does it actually take to be a successful Chief Digital Officer in banking? In this episode of Next Best Action, host Alex Jimenez sits down with Jay Tkachuk, a seasoned digital banking leader with 18 years of experience at Security Service Federal Credit Union and Golden 1 Credit Union. Together, they pull back the curtain on one of the most misunderstood roles in financial services: the Chief Digital Officer.

The conversation explores why the CDO title means something different at every institution and why that ambiguity is both a challenge and an opportunity. Jay explains that the role goes far beyond managing a mobile app or website. It requires a unique combination of technology expertise, business strategy, marketing knowledge, and the ability to build alignment across teams. He also shares hard-earned lessons on navigating competing priorities with marketing, IT, and operations, and explains why strong support from the CEO is essential for meaningful transformation.

Alex and Jay also discuss how digital banking has evolved from an alternative channel for younger customers into the primary experience that shapes the entire member relationship. They reflect on the pandemic's role in accelerating that shift, the continued importance of branches and call centers, and why delivering a truly seamless omnichannel experience remains a challenge for many financial institutions.

If you're leading digital transformation, hiring a Chief Digital Officer, or preparing for a digital leadership role, this episode is full of practical insights you won't want to miss.

In This Episode:

• [00:00] Welcome and guest introduction

• [01:14] Defining the modern Chief Digital Officer

• [03:50] Why digital leadership creates organizational friction

• [06:36] Where digital leaders should report

• [09:13] How digital banking has evolved

• [13:54] Innovation beyond digital channels

• [14:34] Building trust across the organization

• [17:25] Why CEO support determines success

• [19:10] Choosing the right technology partners

• [23:44] Hiring the right Chief Digital Officer

• [25:40] Lightning round

• [28:19] One step forward challenge

• [28:39] Wrap up and thanks

Our Guest

Jay Tkachuk is a seasoned digital banking leader with 18 years of experience across the credit union industry. He most recently served at Golden 1 Credit Union and previously held a long tenure at Security Service Federal Credit Union, where he helped lead digital transformation efforts from the early days of online banking through the rise of omnichannel and AI-powered experiences. Jay brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise, strategic vision, and practical change management experience to every conversation on digital leadership.

Finalytics.ai is the financial intelligence layer beneath the digital experiences that community banks and credit unions use to grow. The platform understands each user's behavior, predicts what they need next, and orchestrates the right experience across every channel, from the public website to online banking to email. Every decision is governed, explainable, and tied to a funded outcome. The results are measured, not projected: institutions on the platform have seen up to 26.7x lift in funded loans from AI-assisted discovery. The intelligence compounds with every decision, which means the platform gets smarter the longer it runs.

Next Best Action

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Jay Tkachuk

• LinkedIn

• Golden 1 Credit Union

Alex Jimenez

• Finalytics.ai

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  About Alex Jimenez

Alex is Managing Director of Consulting at Finalytics.ai, where he helps credit unions and community banks translate behavioral data into growth strategies. He has spent 29 years in financial services, holding senior roles at Bank of America, Zions Bancorporation, Backbase, and EPAM. He has chaired the Consumer Bankers Association's Digital Channel Committee and served as a founding member of the American Bankers Association's Fintech Committee.

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