The Most Powerful Women in Banking: No. 14, Amy Brady, KeyBank

Banks were used to measuring deposit flows over the course of a week or even a month. But when depositors made a run on a couple of high-profile regional banks in early 2023, Key Bank realized it needed more of a real-time look at money going in and out.

Amy Brady, the bank's chief information officer, led the team that worked with other lines of business at the bank to quickly generate the reports they were looking for. It was a feat not just of data engineering and analytical talent, but also of her efforts to build a responsive technology division, which employs more than 4,500 people.

Hear her speak at The Most Powerful Women in Banking Conference in New York City, October 22-23.

The technology team also moved quickly to streamline processes for accepting new accounts coming into the bank in the wake of the crisis. The end result was a growth in deposits for Key of about $3 billion.

"We've demonstrated we're a much more agile company in being able to respond, move, iterate, and I think all of those practices helped us last year," said Brady, who has led technology at the $187 billion-asset bank for 12 years.

Agility is a key skill for bankers in general, she said. "What I've accomplished in my career and what made me successful five years ago is different from what will make me successful now. And it's guaranteed it'll be different five years from today. So, we all have to continuously learn."

Brady also has worked to make Key's tech team more diverse, which she sees as crucial to fostering innovation and new ideas.

Key, for example, is testing a generative artificial intelligence tool that would help employees in branches and customer contact centers respond to customers who have questions outside the norm, such as the requirements for adding power of attorney to an account. Instead of calling someone for help, they will be able to query the tool, known as KeyPro.

A diverse team helps ensure the tool is prepared for the many ways employees with diverse backgrounds and experiences might ask the same question, Brady said. "And I think about diversity in the broadest sense. It's gender, it's race, it's ethnicity, but it's also experience and skills and different expertise. And when you bring those things together, I think people can be more innovative."

As part of her commitment to diversity, Brady is executive sponsor of two internal groups for employees, the Key women's network and the women in technology, operations and services group. Brady also oversees the technology division's future ready and tech ready programs, which help employees develop new skills and advance their careers. Under her guidance, the programs and others like it are serving a more diverse group.

Brady's work in technology earned her a 2024 Ohio Leadership Award from ORBIE, a national program recognizing technology executives for innovation and excellence. Also this year, she was named executive chair for the 2024 Discovery Ball Cleveland, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society and Hope Lodge, which provides free lodging for cancer patients and caregivers in Cleveland.