Tech People in the Know: Engage fi’s Andres Pasantes

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 Engage fi President and CEO Andres Pasantes. The Tampa, Fla.-based technology and financial institution consulting firm provides a range of services to help banks and credit unions develop winning strategies.

By W.B. King

Beginning his career at NationsBank in the 1990s, Andres Pasantes was given a crash course in operational challenges, customer expectations, and the value of best-of-breed technologies and platforms.

Andres Pasantes

“That experience opened my eyes to how much opportunity there was for technology to simplify complexity,” Pasantes told Finopotamus, noting that NationsBank merged with BankAmerica Corp. in 1998, resulting in Bank of America. “When I transitioned to Kirchman Corporation in the mid-1990s, a pioneer in the core banking space, I found my lane and where I bridged banking and technology.”

When he began learning how branch automation and customer relationship management (CRM) systems could remove friction for staff and members, he was “all in” from that point forward. “I saw firsthand how the right systems and technology conversions could transform branch operations, streamline back-office workflows, and improve customer experiences,” he reflected. “That realization became the foundation of my entire career and why I’ve stayed in fintech ever since.”

Strategic Growth Factors

During those early days, Pasantes noted that technology and all its moving parts lived in the back office. “It was viewed as a support function, measured by uptime and ticket resolution. Strategy and innovation happened elsewhere.”

Over the coming years, he noted that three defining operational shifts reshaped the tech world. He said the first sign was like The Jeffersons—technology was moving on up from backrooms and basements to C-suites.

“IT evolved from a cost center to a strategic growth driver—intertwined with the business to drive efficiency, optimization, speed to market, and enhanced member experiences,” he added. “Today, technology leaders sit at the same table as business executives, driving initiatives that impact growth, retention, and the overall member journey.”

The second revelation was unbundled technology stacks. “Gone are the days of single-vendor, one-size-fits-all systems,” he noted. “Now we live in application programming interfaces (API)-driven, enterprise-wide ecosystems where credit unions can choose best-in-class solutions, integrate seamlessly, and evolve without a full system replacement.”

The third piece of this evolutionary changeset was delivery models. “We shifted from traditional waterfall projects to Agile and DevOps, where iteration and user feedback drive everything,” he continued. “Today’s technology teams are not order-takers, they’re business partners, shaping outcomes through data and shared accountability.”

A Student of the Industry

A stern believer in the servant leadership model, Pasantes said his primary role as president and CEO of Engage fi is to clear roadblocks, provide clarity, and make sure teams have what they need to succeed.

“I’m never afraid to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty; whether that’s with my employees or alongside clients. It’s part of my philosophy and approach. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it works for me,” he told Finopotamus, noting that the company supports approximately 85 employees and serves more than 300 credit unions and banks.

“I don’t lead from behind an office desk or a pulpit. I lead in the field, in client offices, and wherever my teams need me. I believe in saying the hard things early, celebrating progress, and empowering people with trust and autonomy,” he continued. “I set clear, measurable outcomes tied to client impact, then let talented people do their best work. I love developing emerging leaders by giving them stretch assignments and watching them grow.”

This approach, he added, is how senior leadership builds both confidence and capability in the next generation. Pasantes took these cues from his mentors, including Santo Cannone, who he called a “industry legend.” Cannone has held numerous positions in the industry, including chief product officer for Open Solutions at Fiserv.

“Santo taught me to be intellectually curious, to always remain a student of the industry, and above all, to value relationships. He always put clients first, no exceptions. For more than a decade, we traveled together constantly,” said Pasantes, who served as Fiserv’s SVP of global sales and strategic client relations before accepting his current role in 2022.

“Every time we visited one client, Santo would map out other clients in nearby cities so we could stop in, listen, and learn. That habit became ingrained in me, and it’s why, to this day, I have thousands of credit union peers and clients who I have visited with and built a tremendous amount of trust and respect with,” he continued. “Over the years, many of these credit union executives have become true friends—people I genuinely enjoy staying connected with, both professionally and personally. It has never been just about business; it has always been about connection and relationships.”

Pasantes pays it forward in numerous ways, including having the “privilege” of participating in the National Association of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals (NLCUP) Mentorship Program, which he said he especially enjoys given his Hispanic roots and heritage.

“It was deeply meaningful to help guide the next generation of diverse leaders in our space. I’ve always believed in taking risks on hiring younger professionals, giving them opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed,” he said. “Watching them evolve into confident, capable leaders has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my career.”

Collaboration and Credit Unions

Among Engage fi’s latest innovations is its 360fi Workflow solution, which was created in partnership with Beaverton, Ore.-based fintech, Centizen Inc.

“At its core, 360fi is about intelligent automation, enabling organizations not just to act faster but to act smarter with consistency and minimal friction. The platform supports service, sales, and day-to-day operations across multiple systems, bringing no-code and low-code design, API integrations, and drag and drop workflow automation to life,” Pasantes explained. “This is not about efficiency alone; it is about modernizing how our industry scales. Automation is the future, our clients are in desperate need of it, and it is already proving its value.”

In the same vein that fintechs collaborate to devise innovative solutions, Pasantes said credit unions stands apart from other financial institutions because of its "deeply member-centric mindset" and uniquely cooperative approach to innovation—it’s baked into the DNA.

“Every technology decision is guided by purpose, improving the financial well-being of members and the communities they serve,” he said. “Credit unions adopt technology not simply to scale or compete, but to enhance relationships and create meaningful member experiences. Digital transformation in this space is driven by how well technology can make banking more personal and accessible.”

Noting the importance of shared service organizations, CUSOs, and strong partnerships with fintechs and vendors, he remains impressed with how credit unions work collectively to accelerate innovation, while managing cost and risk.

“Partnerships between credit unions and like-minded fintechs are essential because they bring together two strengths that complement one another. Credit unions understand trust, relationships, and community,” Pasantes told Finopotamus. “Fintechs bring speed, innovation, and specialized technology. When aligned, those capabilities combine to create meaningful, scalable impact for members.”