Bank of America taps next tech chief

Dive Brief:

• Aditya Bhasin, Bank of America’s chief technology and information officer, is leaving the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank, according to a memo obtained by Banking Dive Tuesday.
• Hari Gopalkrishnan, who until recently was the bank’s head of consumer, business and wealth management technology, will replace Bhasin.
• Bhasin has been at BofA since 2004, when he started as a consumer strategy and planning executive, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is leaving the lender “in the upcoming weeks” for a role advising and investing in small and mid-sized companies, BofA CEO Brian Moynihan wrote in the memo.

Dive Insight:

Bhasin has held various positions during his tenure at the second-largest U.S. bank, including consumer marketing, analytics and digital banking executive, and chief information officer overseeing technology, operations and global wealth management, before becoming chief technology and information officer in 2021. Prior to his time at BofA, Bhasin was a principal at Booz Allen & Hamilton.

“In his most recent role, he has been instrumental in shaping our client-driven technology strategy to drive innovation, operational excellence, and a world-class organization,” Moynihan wrote. 

The CEO noted the bank’s 7,800 patent filings, 59 million digital users and growth of artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant Erica, which counts 3 billion client interactions since its 2018 launch. 

“Aditya has been deeply committed to this work for our clients, company, and teammates, and that has achieved great results and set the team up well for the next leg of the journey,” Moynihan wrote.

In a memo obtained by Banking Dive, Bhasin told his team the decision “comes after thoughtful reflection and is driven by my desire to focus on the next chapter of my career where I can continue to make the greatest impact.” 

Gopalkrishnan, who also becomes a member of the company’s executive management team with the move, has been at BofA since 2011. He worked at Citi and Lehman Brothers prior to that, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

Gopalkrishnan “has led the development of next-generation platforms across digital banking and client-facing experiences, in support of ‘high-tech, high-touch’ business strategies,” and has worked closely with Bhasin and senior leaders across the firm, Moynihan said in the memo. 

“Importantly, he leads our efforts to develop, deliver, and drive expanded AI-based services and solutions in partnership with Vice Chair Thong Nguyen and others on our Management Team, and those efforts will continue in his new, expanded role,” Moynihan wrote.

Also with the shuffle, Tom Scrivener, the bank’s chief operations executive, takes on oversight of BofA’s global business services unit. 

Both Gopalkrishnan and Scrivener “truly understand our business, are deeply committed to our clients, and will continue to drive our company forward,” Bhasin told his team in the memo.