Scottsdale-based parent company of Zelle banking app names new CEO

Early Warning Services LLC, a Scottsdale-based risk management and payment solutions company, recently appointed Albert “Al” Ko as CEO.

Early Warning Services is a FinTech (financial technology) company owned by seven of the nation’s largest banks: Bank of America, BB&T, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank, US Bank and Wells Fargo.

Founded in 1995, Early Warning Services offers identity, authentication and payment solutions to financial institutions, providing a convenient and fraud-free transaction experience, according to the company’s website.

“I’m honored, humbled and excited to lead a company that has been at the epicenter of some seismic shifts in the banking industry,” Ko said.

Ko last served as chief transformation officer at Intuit, the California-based financial services giant behind TurboTax.

At Intuit, Ko held numerous executive positions including general manager of Mint, Intuit’s consumer-facing personal finance app, and head of product for Intuit’s Small Business Group, where he fostered global expansion of the company’s QuickBooks, Payments and Payroll apps.

“Early Warning is in a phenomenal position to lead the next wave of change,” Ko said. “The team, its technologies and its partners are transforming financial services, removing friction from experiences and making life easier for millions of consumers. I look forward to continuing our tradition of innovation and unlocking future growth opportunities.”

Ko has “dedicated his career to serving the needs of customers” and is known for product innovation that is “rooted in deeply understanding the complicated needs of consumers,” according to Early Warning Services.

“Al is an exceptional leader with a deep product management background and a strong track record of operational discipline,” said Bill Wallace, chairman of the Early Warning Management Committee and head of digital for Consumer and Community Banking at JPMorgan Chase. “He is especially adept at leading businesses at scale, helping them reach their maximum potential. We look forward to him making a positive impact on Early Warning and on the banking industry at large.”

Early Warning Services is best known as the owner and operator of the Zelle Network, a digital payment app and financial services network used by businesses and financial institutions of all sizes to make secure payments quickly. Early Warning Services said it considers Zelle to be its flagship product.

In quarter one of 2019, the Zelle Network saw $39 billion change hands through 147 million transactions, according to a press release.

“Early Warning offers a rich portfolio of deposit and payment risk management, identity verification and authentication solutions for banks,” Early Warning Services said. “These offerings have been our foundation for nearly 30 years. The combination of Early Warning’s risk and payment solutions enable the financial services industry to move money fast, safe and easy, so people can live their best financial lives.”

As CEO of Early Warning Services, Ko will maintain the company’s core values, which are built on facilitating trusted exchanges between institutions as well as Zelle users, the company said.

“He’s focused on being agile so that the company doesn’t miss growth opportunities that meet our customers’ ever-changing needs,” Early Warning Services said.

Early Warning Services is currently not a part of Arizona’s FinTech Sandbox but said it may consider participating in the future.