Mike de Vere is chief executive of Zest AI, the company that sells AI-driven consumer credit underwriting tools to lenders. He has more than thirty years in consumer research and data, including leadership roles at Nielsen, The Harris Poll, and J.D. Power, and he frames Zest's mission as using AI to widen access to affordable credit.
Consumer research career
Before Zest he built a career amplifying consumer voices to businesses and governments through large research firms. Georgetown's Psaros Center notes his work translating data into insights that improve how organisations serve people. He earned an MBA from the University of Southern California and a B.S. in business administration from California State University, Northridge, and lives in Southern California.
Leading Zest AI
As CEO he sets strategy for AI models that lenders use in credit decisions while staying inside fair-lending and explainability expectations. American Banker has covered his focus on inclusive lending with AI. The company leadership page says that under his watch Zest aims to modernise lending and strengthen the financial system by helping more people reach long-term financial prosperity.