Tech People in the Know: KlariVis’ Jerry Bradley

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 Jerry Bradley, chief product officer (CPO)at KlariVis. The Roanoke, Va.-based fintech bills itself as providing enterprise dashboard and analytics tools designed by bankers for bankers.

By W.B. King

As a former certified public accountant, Jerry Bradley said the operational connection to technology might not be apparent—but there is a clear bridge. “Excel wizards working in different industries have data skills that easily transition into databases, SQL queries, data modeling, and more complex data analytic skills,” he told Finopotamus. “I also had a natural curiosity of how to do my job better with improved processes or better tools which, transitions well into the software development culture of continuous improvement.”

Jerry Bradley

Prior to joining KlariVis as a founding member in 2019, Bradley served as CFO at ValleyStar Credit Union and SVP of finance as Valley Bank, among other positions. When Finopotamus asked if there is discernable difference when transitioning between the credit union/bank model and a fintech, he provided insights.

“The maturity of the company from a true start-up to a best-in-class fintech vendor means we have transitioned from having three-to-four employees around a table designing, iterating, and deploying a report—to no customers, mind you—in an afternoon to highly-skilled, empowered teams that pride themselves on craftsmanship,” said Bradley, who was named CPO in 2023. Today, the fintech supports 70-plus employees and more than 150 financial institution (FI) customers.

Finding Joy in Future Leaders

With a career spanning more than 20 years, Bradley said he finds “great joy” mentoring the next generation of leaders and always applauds “big” professional milestones. “The moments where they feel their professional value grow each day, where they know they ‘own’ something no one else on the team does,” he continued. “Just watching and having even a minor part in that growth is the best part of my career at this point. I want that for them. One of my most important jobs is helping to find those future leaders and help them mature.”

Mentorship, he added, does not only during the early stages—it’s an ongoing process. Currently, KlariVis’ CEO and Founder Kim Snyder fills that all-important role for him.

“Her passion and tenacity are unrivaled. She sets ambitious goals and works tirelessly to achieve them. I have no problem admitting that a lot of my work ethic is really just trying to match her,” he shared. “She has encouraged me to grow and achieve simply leading by example. I am truly just trying to match her.”

The Ability to Customize

Among recent solutions the CPO is proud of is the fintech’s “General Ledger Hierarchy Builder,” which was designed to help FIs customize financial reporting.

“Each bank and credit union has different lines of business that make them unique, and many times their data dashboards and reporting tools came with a static financial layout,” he explained. “Giving these institutions the ability to customize their reporting greatly enhances the way they communicate internally, and even with the board, and keeps consistency between all their existing spreadsheets and platforms. We are always focused on giving institutions clarity through their data, and this is a big enhancement in that area.”

While Bradley conceded that artificial intelligence (AI) is a bit “cliché” as a notable tech trend, he remains intrigued about how AI is reshaping the industry—especially as related to marketing effectiveness through data-driven personalization and segmentation.

“We recently launched a module within the KlariVis platform called ‘Transactional Intelligence’ that shows the FI their customer or member’s transaction data and helps show untapped marketing or cross-sell opportunities,” he noted. “Our industry is in a place where everyone is on the hunt for the best use cases for AI and it has proved to be wildly useful in areas like this.”

Bradley also believes AI and machine learning will soon allow managers, executives, and analysts to have the “full power of data analysis” in their hands. “And could even have a personalized experience where the AI’s proactive recommendations regularly guide them on a subset of their overall tasks.”

Enhancing the Overall Member Experience

Noting the credit union industry’s unique member/relationship-centered approach to innovation, Bradley said this approach is a clear differentiator between other FIs. “Rather than pursuing technology purely for scale, they often prioritize tools that strengthen trust, accessibility and long-term financial well-being,” he continued. “That focus can lead to more thoughtful and tailored implementations compared to larger, profit-driven institutions.”

When credit unions partner with fintechs that “speak the same language,” Bradley said a strong strategic bond can be established.

“There can be companies that are amazing at tech, but they may not have as deep an understanding of the credit union market. For credit unions, partnering with someone who has walked in your shoes can be invaluable, as you don’t have to explain your pain points or processes to someone who has lived them,” he told Finopotamus. “We’ve seen meaningful success when data-driven collaboration helps institutions make smarter lending decisions, improve risk management and enhance the overall member experience.”