How KeyBank Evolves Fraud and Financial Crime With the Pace of Technology Change

Exclusive interview with Amy Brady, Chief Information Officer, KeyBank

Note – Amy Brady, along with NICE Actimize CEO Craig Costigan; Global VP Product Management, Chad Hetherington; and Celent/Global Data, Head of Risk, Ian Watson, will appear on a special fraud and financial crime segment on the cable show “Inside The Blueprint”, featured on FOX Business, November 9 at 3 PM EST.  The video segment will also be available for viewing on YouTube.

Amy Brady, Chief Information Officer, KeyBank, a regional bank headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, met with NICE Actimize leadership at its Hoboken offices recently for a candid, idea-packed session. She didn’t just discuss fraud and financial crime technology and the role of trust—she framed them as a single mission: securing the future.

Amy shared what fuels her as a senior leader with fraud and financial crime top of mind, drawing on personal motivations, high-stakes decisions and a clear vision for resilience. The conversation spanned everything from elevating education and awareness across the organization to aligning business priorities with effective deterrence.

She offered practical guidance on balancing customer satisfaction with rigorous protection in an era of constant change, proving that strong risk governance can be a competitive advantage, not a trade-off.

Recently, KeyBank increased the modernization of its financial crime operations with the NICE Actimize’s X-Sight AI Enterprise Platform, an advanced portfolio of solutions which effectively address the financial services institutions’ most pressing challenges.

KeyBank’s objectives were to tackle a variety of operational challenges, while enhancing overall efficiency. Now fully live with fraud and anti-money laundering capabilities, the advanced SaaS platform is designed to reduce disruptions caused by system downtime or performance issues so that it can now more swiftly resolve issues and achieve enhanced overall system reliability and a smoother, more dependable banking experience.

Tell us about your role at KeyBank – what does your area of responsibility address?

Brady: I have the privilege at KeyBank of running a large service organization. It encompasses all of our technology that serves our customers, employees and enterprise, as well as our back-office operations, functions such as anti-money laundering, fraud detection, loan operations and payment processing. I also have the privilege of managing our contact centers and enterprise security services, including information security, cybersecurity and all related functions.

Additionally, I collaborate with our Chief Data Analytics Officer, who has significantly contributed to the company’s growth. I also oversee several other responsibilities, including corporate real estate.

What is the most significant risk facing financial institutions today?

Brady: The most significant risk facing financial institutions today is protecting our organizations and clients, keeping them safe. Our industry is built on trust, and if we can’t maintain that trust, it introduces a threat to the entire industry.

Trust matters, right? Money matters. It’s essential to our clients—whether you’re an individual, a small business, a growing mid-market company or a large corporate client—that your money is secure, and keeping it safe, along with the assets and information that accompany it, is crucial. Maintaining that trust and security helps us build long-lasting relationships with our clients, allowing us to grow with them over the years.

How do you view your purpose and that of KeyBank over the years – your institution has a very long history.

Brady: I get up every day powered by our purpose. KeyBank’s purpose is to help our clients and communities thrive. We’ve been doing that for 200 years, and it is important. We exist to make our clients’ lives better, easier, more productive and to help them achieve their dreams. Whether it’s a consumer looking to buy their first home or a corporation seeking to acquire the next business to expand and grow, being part of our communities is crucial because if they thrive, we thrive.

Additionally, what motivates me to get up in the morning is helping our employees thrive, supporting their personal and professional development, and growth. Allowing them to achieve their personal best enables us to deliver to our clients.

What is that one constant threat that keeps you up at night – and how do you see your role as an institution in confronting that threat?

Brady: I’ve been in this business a long time now, and I would say the one ever-present thing—and unfortunately, a constant threat—is bad actors trying to take advantage of our clients or break into our institutions. For decades, we in the industry have been working hard to stay ahead of all these threats. Unfortunately, what we have today includes some of the oldest scams being perpetrated against our clients and our institutions.

At the same time, with the evolution of technology and the rapid pace of innovation, we face some of the newest threat vectors every day. Our role, as an institution working with partners, is to ensure that we have the best tools available to adapt, stay agile and respond effectively to those threats, helping to protect our institutions and clients.

How do you view the role of strategic partnerships such as those with your technology vendors?

Brady: As an institution, we have to partner with many strategic providers. NiCE has become one of those over the years. We need to strike a balance between maintaining a manageable ecosystem and avoiding excessive complexity. That’s something we continually evaluate.

Secondly, we need solutions that enable our employees to perform their jobs effectively, better protecting our clients, their accounts and their data. We also need to partner with organizations that will evolve with us as the threat landscape changes. Working with a partner like NiCE is a win-win because they’re willing to learn and grow with us, and our feedback helps evolve their products to meet our needs and industry demands.

I believe that strategic partnerships are crucial—they should evolve and adapt over time, allowing us to learn from each other.

How have today’s challenges evolved over time?

Brady: One thing that has evolved—especially in the last 10 years—is the pace of technological change. While this rapid evolution enables us to deliver new solutions, innovative banking methods and enhanced client interaction, it also means malicious actors can exploit these technologies. We constantly must think about how to combat that with the tools and technologies at our disposal.

The challenge today, unlike 20 years ago, is the rapid evolution of these technologies and how people are utilizing them, both for beneficial purposes and, unfortunately, for harmful ones.

What stands out the most in your long career with KeyBank?

Brady: I’ve been proud to work at KeyBank for over a decade. When I think about that, two things stand out: how we’ve continuously evolved the application of technology to provide a better digital experience for our clients—whether corporate or consumer—and how we’ve kept developing the proper levels of protection, authentication and friction to keep them safe. I’m very proud of our journey.

The second is watching our people and employees grow. They need to learn how to apply these new technologies effectively to fulfill our mission and achieve our purpose.

Our goal is to establish strong relationships with our clients and safeguard their assets. I’m very proud of how our employees have grown—and continue to learn—because, in this environment, we all must learn something new every day to stay current.

What is your advice on success – what is that one critical element that stands out?

Brady: I feel a little humbled when asked for advice on success. We’re always striving to improve at KeyBank and to become better each day. It’s crucial to choose the right partners.  We need partners who listen, learn and provide advice—those who can spot opportunities or risks we might not see. It’s essential to select strategic partners, not just point solutions.

KeyBank, like every other financial institution, has a responsibility to protect our organization and data. Our data is the fuel that drives us, and it’s the most critical information for our customers, connected to their dollars. We must continually invest in the next phase of technology to stay ahead of emerging threats. Sometimes, it’s hard to see around the corner, but we need to anticipate and respond to new risks as they arise.

Balancing investments is critical—while we enhance the digital experience, we also must ensure strong protections against infiltration or fraud. Otherwise, the convenience we offer could be exploited.

What is the one thing that is most important when it comes to your customers and clients?

Brady: I have a lot of empathy for our clients. We have dedicated teams that fight money laundering, fraud and cybercrime, and we collaborate with experts in these areas. Still, many consumers—and small businesses without dedicated tech teams—are vulnerable because they might not be as informed or equipped.

It’s our responsibility to educate our clients on how to protect themselves—how to avoid falling prey to scams targeting their accounts, families or businesses. We need to support them both in their business and at home, behind the scenes.

What’s the key message you would like to leave with us today, Amy?

Brady: Over the years, along with our partners, we have built and enhanced the tools we use to stay ahead of threats. I look forward to continuing this journey of protection and adaptation in this ever-changing environment.

The greatest challenge remains the pace of change itself—this is no longer a “set it and forget it” world. We all have to keep evolving.