Tech People in the Know: BAFS’ Jason Carter

In what is a recurring feature, Finopotamus profiles interesting and intriguing tech professionals who are positively impacting the credit union industry.

For this issue, we visited with Jason Carter, CIO at Business Alliance Financial Services (BAFS). The Monroe, La.-based fintech provides commercial loan processing, servicing, training, and consulting to financial institutions.

By W.B. King

A high school typing class led Jason Carter to a career in technology. This happenstance was a welcome surprise. “I landed a data entry job in the telecom department of a local hospital. When their team needed someone to help with pulling wire, I volunteered and gained hands-on experience building physical network connections,” he told Finopotamus. “That early exposure in the mid-’90s laid the foundation for everything I have learned and implemented throughout my career in technology.”

Jason carter

After studying at St. Petersburg College and Louisiana Tech University, Carter began working in desktop support and network engineering. Before landing senior technology leadership roles, he owned and managed a private IT consulting firm.

“When I started my career, the internet was still in its infancy, and dial-up was the main way to connect. The introduction of full-time internet connectivity was a profound change. It created an entirely new need for information security, which was a discipline that simply didn’t exist in most organizations when I began,” recalled Carter, who also served for nearly nine years as vice president of information technology at Origin Bank.

Another major industry shift, he said, was moving away from physical hardware, which was previously required for running a tech department. “Today, the rise of cloud computing has completely turned that model on its head,” he shared. “I have no desire to own or manage hardware anymore—the cloud makes it possible to focus on innovation and service delivery rather than infrastructure maintenance.”

Trust but Verify

In 2015, Carter joined BAFS as its CIO. Today, the company has 80 financial institution clients and supports 37 employees, seven of whom are tech-facing. When Finopotamus asked Carter about his management philosophy, he summed it up in three words: Trust but verify.

“Team members are empowered to take ownership of their work without micromanagement, because that’s where creativity and great ideas tend to happen. However, accountability and timely execution are also key,” he continued. “I also foster an environment where my team is not afraid to fail. Setbacks have provided invaluable learning opportunities over the course of my career, so my team is given that same freedom to experiment, take risks, and grow from the outcomes.”

While he didn’t single out one mentor, he noted that many managers along the way taught him how to effectively lead. “Today, working with a small team allows me to build personal relationships with each member and invest directly in their growth,” Carter noted. “Creating a safe environment where they can take risks and even fail has proven invaluable for their development and the lessons it provides.”

Sustainable Growth Engine

In Carter’s view, credit unions must always take a balanced approach to technology adoption, especially when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI). “While AI drives consistency and speed, the human touch remains vital for building relationships and delivering personalized financial guidance,” he said. “The combination of advanced technology and human insight ensures credit unions can operate more efficiently without sacrificing the trust and connection that define their member-first mission.”

AI is not the only tech trend on his mind. He sees a growing number of credit unions adopting end-to-end commercial lending platforms, which he believes facilitates a “pathway to deepen member relationships,” while staying competitive.

“Traditionally, commercial lending has been a complex, resource-intensive process that made it difficult for many credit unions to participate,” he said. “Today, the rise of modern, cloud-based platforms that integrate automation and advanced data analytics make it completely possible for credit unions of all sizes to enter the commercial lending market.”

This approach, he noted, is transforming commercial lending from a “niche opportunity” into a “sustainable growth” engine. “In fact, our team has seen a 60% year-over-year increase in new client inquiries in 2025 from both emerging commercial lenders and established institutions seeking to modernize operations.”

Selecting the Right Partner

As compared to other financial institutions, Carter said credit unions are not only determining efficiency when adopting new tech solutions. Rather, they look to strengthen member relationships through “meaningful innovation,” while “remaining true to their mission of providing personalized community service.”

Preferring platforms tailored to respective needs, credit unions often select flexible, end-to-end solutions that streamline operations without sacrificing the all-important human touch, he noted. “In commercial lending, for example, many credit unions are leveraging automated platforms that accelerate decision-making, while still enabling staff to deliver personalized guidance and maintain a high-touch member experience.”

To achieve these tech-focused goals, credit unions must partner with flexible fintechs that understand these niche objectives, he said. “Every credit union has opportunities in this space, but newer programs often require guidance and operational support that established teams may already have in place,” Carter continued. “The right partner provides scalable solutions that align with the credit union’s goals, allowing them to grow efficiently while managing risk.”