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Digital transformation is essential for corporate and institutional banks to meet rising client expectations, streamline operations, and drive revenue—while navigating complex, evolving regulations. To stay competitive, banks must balance compliance, efficiency, and client satisfaction, while doing “more with less." Alex Ford is passionate about helping firms succeed on this transformation journey.
As Global Chief Revenue Officer and President of North America at Encompass Corporation, her dedication to digital transformation, tireless innovation, and leadership in corporate banking have cemented her as an influential force in the financial services sector. Encompass Corporation’s North American division has experienced significant growth under Ford’s leadership, more than doubling the user base in just two years.
As a trailblazer, Alex is a recognized leader in the FinTech and RegTech sectors, particularly in advancing Corporate Digital Identity (CDI) technology and the Know Your Customer (KYC) landscape. Her strategic vision and operational expertise have solidified Encompass’ global presence, ensuring the company remains at the forefront of CDI advancements.
Recent research from Chartis and Encompass Corporation revealed that banks are losing billions annually due to inefficient and manual KYC processes. With CDI, Alex has championed a solution that automates customer due diligence, cutting end-to-end onboarding times by up to 32%, and reducing the risk of client dissatisfaction, application abandonment, and costly manual efforts. This streamlined process also offers substantial downstream efficiency gains, including:
- Triage and Risk Assessment
By collecting comprehensive data upfront, analysts managing the triage process gain a holistic view of risk. This enables them to make critical decisions with greater confidence and efficiency, having all necessary information readily accessible.
- Outreach and Profile Completion
On average, institutions can realize a 14% reduction in CDI time by optimizing outreach and profile completion processes. Gathering most customer data at the outset minimizes the frequency of follow-ups by analysts or relationship managers, improving the experience for both the firm and the client.
By optimizing verification and validation processes, CDI enables banks to process more clients, faster and with greater accuracy, ensuring they remain competitive in a rapidly changing financial landscape.
Ford was instrumental in the successful launch of the next evolution of the EC360 Platform— Encompass Corporation’s groundbreaking solution that redefines automation and data integration in banking. EC360 uses advanced automation and data intelligence to cut through manual bottlenecks, seamlessly integrating and analyzing corporate data at scale. This means continuous KYC monitoring and faster, more accurate risk assessments. As financial institutions navigate growing regulatory pressures, EC360 harnesses AI to simplify due diligence, minimize false positives, and drive smarter decision-making.
Championing Women in Tech
Beyond her achievements in the corporate world, Alex is deeply committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. She serves on the board of The RegTech Association and as the co-founder of Women in RegTech New York, Alex has created an empowering network for women in the RegTech space, offering mentorship and career opportunities to women aspiring to break into this male-dominated field. She has also served as a thought leader, contributing regularly to publications such as Forbes, Finextra, American Banker, and FinTech Global, and speaking at top industry events like Sibos, ACAMS, 1LoD, Global RegTech Summit, and more. She is a passionate advocate for women in tech.
Noted for her leadership style, Alex fosters a company culture that encourages open communication and collaboration across all levels of her team. Her innovative contributions to financial technology and dedication to transforming corporate banking make her a standout choice for the Woman of the Year Award.
Alex’s leadership is focused on creating long-term value, not only for Encompass Corporation but for the broader financial services industry. Her work is paving the way for the next generation of women in technology.
Nomination Title: Alex Ford, Chief Revenue Officer and President, North America
