Check out highlights from the 2024 Metis Strategy Summit | Read more
Back to All Episodes
Episode 868

Futurizing Financial Data: Morningstar CTO James Rhodes Talks Architecture Modernization, Client Personalization, and the Company’s AI Chatbot ‘Mo’

May 2, 2024
More Ways to Listen
LISTEN TO PODCAST
Subscribe on Your Favorite Platform

About the Guest

James Rhodes

President of Morningstar Data, Research, and Enterprise Solutions and Chief Technology Officer
James Rhodes is President of Morningstar Data, Research, and Enterprise Solutions and the firm’s Chief Technology Officer. He oversees the business unit that includes Morningstar’s flagship platform Morningstar Direct, Morningstar Advisor Workstation, and delivery of Morningstar’s unique data and research to clients through data feeds, APIs and Enterprise Components. As Chief Technology Officer for Morningstar, James is also responsible for the company’s technology vision and execution strategy. Upon joining Morningstar in 2016, Rhodes served as Chief Data Officer before assuming his current position. In this role, he was responsible for defining Morningstar’s overall data technology strategy, which encompasses how Morningstar collects, processes, and distributes data to our clients. Before joining Morningstar, James served as Chief Technology Officer of Rocaton Investment Advisors and prior to that served 13 years with IBM Research.

Episode Overview

868: As data becomes increasingly valuable, technology executives have the important task of ensuring the company’s data infrastructure allows for efficiency and scalability. In this episode of Technovation, James Rhodes, President of Morningstar Data Research and Enterprise Solutions and the company’s Chief Technology Officer, joins Peter High in a discussion about modernizing the company’s enterprise architecture and enhancing the client experience with improved personalization. James elaborates on the three hats he wears in his current role at the company and the approach he is taking to modernize legacy systems for scalability and efficiency. He shares insights on driving customer personalization at scale, leveraging AI for better financial advice, and establishing a Responsible AI Council to ensure the company retains its transparency and client trust. James also describes the evolution of their AI-driven digital assistant ‘Mo’ and how it will augment, but not replace, the financial advisor. Finally, James shares the technology trends on his radar including digital avatars for enhancing customer engagement and the advancement of cybersecurity measures, and the keys to success that he’s learned across his career.

Social Media

Share On Your Favorite Platform