How GFT New US CEO Aims to Spearhead AI Transformation
GFT has appointed Rishi Chohan as its new US chief executive, bringing over 20 years of financial technology and core banking modernisation experience to the capital markets transformation specialist. The former Ernst & Young and SoftServe executive will lead GFT’s American operations as it expands its digital banking platform capabilities and cloud-native core banking solutions.
Rishi succeeds Marco Santos, who became GFT’s global chief executive in January 2025 after previously leading the Americas division. In his new role, Rishi will focus on deepening GFT's existing relationships with leading US banks, financial institutions and manufacturers while expanding the company's technology partnerships.
“AI is creating an opportunity for companies to fast-forward to a state that doesn’t exist today, defined by limitless potential to develop new products and services, acquire new customers and generate new revenue streams,” said Rishi. “To capitalise on AI’s potential, companies need to innovate with forward looking partners who can transform their digital infrastructures quickly.”
The appointment positions Rishi to work alongside GFT’s Regional Head Chris Ortiz, who has previously led the company's expansion in Asia-Pacific and UK markets. Together they will execute on GFT’s strategy to leverage its domain experience across banking, financial services and manufacturing sectors.
GFT advances transformation strategy amid AI adoption challenges
The executive appointment comes as GFT pursues a five-year plan to revamp its internal systems and develop sector-specific AI tools. This strategy addresses the challenges in deriving value from AI investments, with research indicating that while 92% of companies plan to increase AI spending, only 19% have achieved revenue growth exceeding 5% from these initiatives.
GFT attributes this gap to insufficient modernisation of legacy infrastructure, an area where the company has accumulated significant expertise over its 35-year history guiding banks, financial institutions and manufacturers through infrastructure transformations.
“GFT is where it is today because of our commitment to delivering on the long-term digital strategies of global banks, financial institutions and manufacturers. As AI has begun to play a larger role in those goals, we're ensuring that GFT is in the best possible position to execute on them,” said Chris. “Rishi's appointment puts us in that position in the US.”
Technology partnerships for AI-driven growth
Under its new leadership structure, GFT has strengthened its AI capabilities through extended collaborations with technology providers including Nvidia, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud. The company continues to develop its GFT AI Impact platform, which provides AI-powered software development tools.
The firm aims to differentiate itself by combining technical expertise with domain knowledge in the industries it serves. This approach addresses the specific needs of organisations facing legacy system constraints while pursuing AI adoption and digital transformation.
Marco expressed confidence in Rishi's ability to execute on this vision in the US market, particularly given his background with enterprise clients.
“It’s my personal vision for GFT that over the next five years, all of our products and services will be delivered with AI in their hearts, completely AI-Centric,” said Marco. “Implementing such a vision requires a team that has the passion, excitement and expertise to carry it forward. I'm fully confident in Rishi’s abilities to grow and lead that team in the US market.”
Financial services and AI solutions
The leadership transition follows GFT’s November 2024 announcement of a collaboration with Nvidia focused on delivering tailored AI solutions for financial services clients. The partnership combines GFT's banking sector expertise with NVIDIA's AI software tools to enhance financial institutions' operations.
The collaboration specifically targets the development of custom large language models for banking and insurance applications. Financial services firms can implement these models to power AI agents for fraud detection, customer service automation and risk reduction processes.
GFT's financial services solutions leverage open-source models including Google Gemma, Llama 3.1 405B and Microsoft Phi, providing banks with flexibility to deploy new AI capabilities in cloud or on-premises environments.
“We are collaborating with NVIDIA to help unlock the next level of AI-driven solutions for our clients,” Marco said at the time. “These tools will drive efficiency and, beyond that, create fresh growth opportunities for our clients. Through this collaboration, we aim to set new standards in digital innovation.”
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