The CFO owns the AI strategy: a return target on every use case, 50 agents in production, and a venture studio — all while doubling in size.
Huntington is the large bank where the chief financial officer is also the AI strategist. Zach Wasserman, who runs finance, strategy and data analytics, has set an explicit return target — 10–15% cost reductions and 10–15% revenue increases from targeted generative and agentic use cases — and reports progress in agents: two at the end of 2022, 50 in production and more than 60 in development by April 2026, with about 15 new ones entering the pipeline each month. The program sits inside a bank that is doubling in size through the Veritex and $7.4 billion Cadence acquisitions, has launched a fintech venture studio to 'act more like a tech company', uses generative AI to originate small-business loans through Casca, and won an American Banker Innovation of the Year award in 2026 with its payments partner. The public record is unusually specific about governance: Wasserman frames every use case around business value, oversight and adaptable operating models.
Lead bank
The Huntington National Bank
Assets (lead bank, Mar 31, 2026)
$284 billion
Charter
National bank (OCC)
Headquarters
Columbus, OH
Flagship platform
Agentic process transformation, run from finance
AI leadership
Zach Wasserman · Steve Steinour · Brant Standridge · Senthil Kumar
- AI strategy is owned by CFO Zach Wasserman (ex-CFO of Visa North America and of American Express's US consumer business), with direct responsibility for enterprise-wide adoption plus finance, strategy and analytics.
- Agents: 2 in Q4 2022 → 50 in production and 60-plus in development by April 2026, about 15 new a month; 'a dramatic acceleration of agentic process transformation, including in my finance team'.
- Return discipline: on track for 10–15% cost reductions and 10–15% revenue increases from targeted LLM and agentic use cases (September 2025).
- Lending: generative-AI SBA loan origination through Casca, alongside Live Oak — the number-one and number-two SBA 7(a) lenders; AI-personalised deposit offers.
- Scale and structure: Veritex ($1.9 billion, closed October 2025) and Cadence ($7.4 billion, closed Q1 2026) take the bank to $284 billion; a fintech venture studio with Alloy Partners (October 2025); an American Banker Innovation of the Year 2026 award with Payabli.
- 2026 expense discipline: some technology hiring and spending trimmed to hold expense growth in the lower half of guidance — AI investment is judged inside the budget, not around it.
What is Agentic process transformation, run from finance?
Huntington's AI program is led by CFO Zach Wasserman, who also runs strategy and data analytics. From two AI agents in late 2022 the bank reached 50 in production and more than 60 in development by April 2026, adding about 15 a month, with a stated return target of 10–15% cost reductions and 10–15% revenue increases from targeted LLM and agentic use cases.[1][2][8]
What has Huntington done on AI, and when?
- Sep 8, 2026
Brant Standridge named president[14]
Succession planning at the holding company and the bank.
- Jun 1, 2026
Innovation of the Year 2026, with Payabli[7]
American Banker honoree.
- Apr 24, 2026
Technology spending trimmed to hold expense guidance[12]
Marketing and branches protected; some hiring and tech spend cut.
- Apr 24, 2026
50 agents in production, 60-plus in development[1]
About 15 new agents a month; the CFO as AI strategist.
- Feb 5, 2026
BNY's former CRO hired as risk chief[13]
Senthil Kumar succeeds Helga Houston.
- Oct 27, 2025
- Oct 27, 2025
Fintech venture studio with Alloy Partners[4]
'It's not just about keeping pace, it's about setting the pace' — acting 'more like a tech company'.
- Oct 23, 2025
Treasury Management Connectivity Ecosystem[15]
API-first platform with 500-plus interfaces and intelligent automation for business clients.
- Sep 24, 2025
Framework for deploying AI at scale[8]
Operating models, oversight and governance, in a WSJ/Deloitte interview.
- Sep 11, 2025
The return target: 10–15% costs, 10–15% revenue[2]
Wasserman's mission to obtain a return on generative AI, balancing urgency with risk.
- Aug 19, 2025
Invests in and deploys Casca's gen-AI lending[5]
With Live Oak, to automate SBA loan origination.
- Mar 19, 2025
AI to personalise deposit offers[9]
Among regional lenders using AI on customer data to compete for deposits.
- Mar 4, 2025
'It's a tremendous priority': the CFO on AI[3]
Wasserman explains why finance leads AI strategy at the bank.
- Dec 31, 2022
Two AI agents in production[1]
The baseline Wasserman later cites for the agentic build-out.
Where does Huntington use AI today?
| System | What it does | Status | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agentic process automation[1] | 50 agents in production across the business, including finance. | In production | Generative & agentic AI |
| Gen-AI SBA loan origination (Casca)[5][6] | Automating much of the small-loan process to approve in a day or two. | In production | Credit scoring & underwriting |
| AI-personalised deposit offers[9] | AI on customer data to tailor deposit products. | In production | Customer-facing chatbots |
| Treasury connectivity automation[15] | Intelligent automation across 500-plus interfaces for business clients. | In production | Generative & agentic AI |
| AI-enabled fraud defence[16] | Guidance and controls against AI-crafted BEC and impersonation. | In production | Fraud detection |
Use-case links open the tracker's rules-by-use-case matrix: which documents govern each system type.
What has Huntington disclosed in numbers?
| Metric | Value | As of |
|---|---|---|
| AI agents in production / in development | 50 / 60+, ≈ 15 new a month[1] | Apr 24, 2026 |
| Return target | 10–15% cost reduction and 10–15% revenue increase from targeted use cases[2] | Sep 11, 2025 |
| Total assets | $284 billion[17] | Jul 30, 2026 |
| Cadence acquisition | $7.4 billion[11] | Oct 27, 2025 |
| Treasury connectivity interfaces | 500+[15] | Oct 23, 2025 |
“It's really a dramatic acceleration of agentic process transformation, which is really important, including in my finance team.”[1]
Zach Wasserman · Chief Financial Officer · Apr 24, 2026
“It's a tremendous priority.”[3]
Zach Wasserman · Chief Financial Officer · Mar 4, 2025
Who runs AI at Huntington?
Zach WassermanLinkedIn ↗
Chief Financial Officer; leads AI strategy, strategy and data analytics[1][8][3]
Steve Steinour
Chairman and CEO[10]
Brant StandridgeLinkedIn ↗
President (from September 2026)[14]
Senthil KumarLinkedIn ↗
Chief Risk Officer (from February 2026, ex-BNY)[13]
Which regulators govern Huntington's AI?
| Authority | Why it matters here | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| OCC | National bank; the revised model risk guidance applies, and the OCC's Risk Perspective on gen-AI governance is the frame for 50-plus agents. | OCC Bulletin 2026-13 OCC Semiannual Risk Perspective, Spring 2026 |
| CFPB | Gen-AI loan origination and AI deposit personalisation sit under ECOA and UDAAP. | ECOA / Regulation B adverse action (15 U.S.C. 1691(d); 12 CFR 1002.9) Regulation B final rule on disparate impact (April 2026) |
| Federal Reserve | Casca, Payabli and other fintech partners are third-party relationships under interagency guidance. | SR 23-4 |
| Colorado AI Act | A Texas- and Colorado-adjacent Southern and Western footprint after Cadence brings state ADMT laws into scope for consumer lending. | SB 26-189 |
What does the public record suggest about Huntington's AI strategy?
Analysis by BankingNewsAI from the sources cited on this page. Observations, not advice.
01
Finance-led AI is the cleanest answer to 'where is the ROI?'
Putting the CFO in charge means every agent carries a business case and a budget line. It also means AI investment gets trimmed with everything else when revenue softens, as it was in April 2026.
02
Fifteen new agents a month needs an inventory and a kill switch
At that pace the governance question shifts from approving use cases to managing a fleet — the lifecycle and entitlement controls in the agents section of this site.
03
Lending is where the consumer-law exposure concentrates
Gen-AI SBA origination through a fintech partner is efficient and examinable; adverse-action reasons and third-party oversight are the two things to keep in view.
04
Two acquisitions and an AI build-out at once
Cadence and Veritex integrations compete with the agent program for the same technology capacity; the 2026 expense trims show that trade-off being made.
Who leads AI at Huntington Bank?
Chief Financial Officer Zach Wasserman, who joined in 2019 from Visa and also runs strategy and data analytics, has direct responsibility for enterprise-wide AI adoption. He has set a target of 10–15% cost reductions and 10–15% revenue increases from targeted generative and agentic AI use cases.
How many AI agents does Huntington have?
Fifty in production and more than 60 in development as of April 2026, with roughly 15 new agents entering the pipeline each month, up from two agents at the end of 2022, according to the CFO in Fortune.
- At Huntington Bancshares, the CFO is also the AI strategist
- Huntington Bank's plan to obtain a return on gen AI
- 'It's a tremendous priority': Huntington CFO Wasserman on AI
- How Huntington Bank is acting 'more like a tech company'
- Huntington, Live Oak to invest in, deploy gen AI-based lending
- How AI is quickly overhauling one segment of SBA lending
- Innovation of The Year 2026
- Banking on AI: Huntington's CFO on Innovation and Risk Oversight
- Fifth Third Among Banks Using AI to Help Lure Customer Deposits
- Huntington to trim Cadence staff after acquisition, CEO says
- Huntington to buy Cadence Bank for $7.4B
- Huntington whittles expense growth
- Huntington hires BNY alum as next risk chief
- Huntington elevates Standridge to president
- Huntington Bank Announces Treasury Management Connectivity Ecosystem
- AI Fraud Prevention & Best Practices
- Huntington Bank Commits $80 Billion to Support Affordable Housing, Small Businesses and Local Communities (boilerplate: $284 billion assets)
When Huntington moves on AI, you'll read it here first.
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