– USA, CA – Zest AI, the leader in AI lending technology, announced the appointment of the former National Credit Union Administration Board Chairman, Rodney E. Hood, to its Board of Directors.
About Rodney E. Hood
A longtime champion of economic empowerment and financial inclusion, Rod Hood brings 30 years of both public and private financial services experience to the now five-person board, which also includes Upfront Ventures Partner Aditi Maliwal, Matrix Partners General Partner Dana Stalder, and Insight Partners Managing Director Jon Rosenbaum.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue to say that financial inclusion is one of the defining civil rights issues of our time,” said Rod Hood. “With its patented technology, proven fair lending models, regulatory expertise, and mission to drive economic equity, Zest AI is one of the strongest advocates for and solutions to this issue. Given our shared commitment to economic prosperity, the decision to join Zest AI’s board was an easy one. I’m looking forward to digging in and becoming an active participant in developing and distributing an innovative solution to the problem I’ve dedicated my career to addressing.”
Hood’s historic tenure at the NCUA began in 2005 when former President George W. Bush nominated him to serve as Vice Chairman. In 2019, he was nominated to serve again, this time as NCUA Board Chairman, making Hood the first Black American to lead a banking regulatory agency. He served as a board member until January of this year. During his time with the NCUA, Hood helped the board develop an effective regulatory framework, respond to the COVID-19 crisis, and promote diversity, equity, and financial inclusion. Following the killing of George Floyd, he launched the Advancing Communities through Credit, Education, Stability and Support initiative and also established the agency’s first Office of Financial Technology and Access.
Before his NCUA appointment, Hood was at the forefront of corporate responsibility at JPMorgan Chase, where he managed national partnerships with non-profit organizations promoting financial inclusion. Before that, he worked as a national director in Wells Fargo’s community development lending division, where he helped launch affordable housing projects while working with Habitat for Humanity and NeighborWorks America on educational resources.
About Zest AI
Zest AI is a tech company on a mission to broaden access to equitable lending. Since 2009, we’ve worked with financial institutions to provide AI lending technology to their borrowers. Today, we work with all types of lenders as a catalyst for economic equity by helping them leverage AI’s potential for good.
For more information: https://www.zest.ai/
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