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 Mahalo Banking’s Co-Founder and COO Denny Howell. The Troy, Mich.-based company provides online and mobile banking solutions for credit unions.
By W.B. King
As Denny Howell began his career in the mid-1990s, he was fascinated by a tech-driven edict: removing friction from people’s lives. “I actually came into the industry through financial services rather than traditional computer science,” he told Finopotamus. “I found myself less interested in the technology itself and more interested in what it could accomplish for employees and members.”
Over the last 30-plus years, Howell has worked as an IT supervisor, core manager, Symitar systems administrator and vice president of technology solutions at several credit unions. “As I worked within credit unions, I saw firsthand how disconnected systems and outdated processes made life harder for both staff and members. That became my motivation,” he shared. “I realized technology wasn't just about writing code or implementing software – it was about solving real problems for real people.”
Nearly nine years ago, he co-founded Mahalo Banking with the same mission and passion. “I still believe the best technology is the kind that becomes invisible because it simply helps people accomplish what they need to do more easily,” he noted. “Our job isn't to build software; it's to improve experiences through thoughtful technology.”
Expectations Have Changed
The changes taken place in the fintech/credit union space over the course of his career are significant, Howell reflected, including tech departments no longer being viewed as support organizations where innovation took a back seat to maintenance.
“Today, technology has become a strategic driver of the business. Technology leaders now have a seat at the executive table because digital experiences directly influence growth, member satisfaction, operational efficiency, and even an institution's competitive advantage,” he continued. “I've also seen a major shift in management philosophy. Years ago, organizations were much more hierarchical. Decisions flowed from the top down, and development teams were expected to execute. Today, the best organizations empower teams to solve problems collaboratively, experiment responsibly, and continually improve.”
Cross-industry leaders such as Netflix, Uber, Apple and Amazon have led all organizations, including fintechs and credit unions, to adopt a faster rate of innovation, he said.
“Expectations have changed, which means technology teams have to be far more agile while still delivering security, reliability, and regulatory compliance. At Mahalo, we've embraced that mindset by building deeply into credit union cores instead of forcing credit unions to adapt to generic software,” Howell stated. “It's more work on our end, but it creates a much better experience for our clients and their members.”
Lifelong Learners
When Finopotamus asked about his management philosophy, Howell summed it up with three words: trust, transparency, and purpose. He believes those on the Mahalo team do their best work when they understand why they're building a solution and how it will impact the end user.
“One thing I often remind our team is that every feature we create eventually affects someone's financial life. Behind every login, every loan application, and every account transfer is a real person. Keeping that perspective changes how you approach quality, usability, accessibility, and security,” he continued. “I also encourage our team to stay curious. Technology evolves incredibly fast, and none of us, including me, will ever know everything. The best technologists are lifelong learners who aren't afraid to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and continue improving."
Howell was able to hone these managerial skills due to the many mentors he has had over the course of his career. In recent years, he said fellow Mahalo CEO Jim Stickley has been a significant influence. “He is one of the industry's foremost cybersecurity experts. Jim has an incredible ability to simplify complex security challenges while never losing sight of the member experience,” he said. “Watching how he balances innovation, education, and practical security has influenced the way I think about solving problems.”
Paying these experiences forward is Howell’s passion. Whether at an industry conference as a speaker or at the office, he is always eager to mentor young professionals, shared lessons learned and create opportunities for growth. “One of the most rewarding parts of leadership is watching someone develop confidence and eventually become a leader themselves.”
Amplifying the Cooperative Philosophy
Mahalo Banking’s technology innovations include the industry's first comprehensive neurodiverse digital banking experience, Howell noted. This solution allows members with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, epilepsy, color blindness, and other cognitive or visual differences to personalize the interface to fit their needs, he explained.
“Accessibility shouldn't be an afterthought; it should be built into the product from the beginning,” he said. “Another area is cybersecurity. Rather than continuing the industry's endless cycle of reacting to fraud, we've invested heavily in technologies that help establish familiarity with legitimate members, reducing account takeover risks while improving the member experience.”
With the goal of using technology to make credit unions stronger not just more digital, Howell said Mahalo also “pushes deep core integration.” This approach, he added, removes the choice between powerful functionality and ease of use.
“By integrating directly with credit union cores instead of relying on disconnected middleware, we help credit union staff work more efficiently while giving members a richer digital banking experience,” he said, adding that Mahalo solutions help credit unions amplify the cooperative philosophy, not diminish it. “That's one of the reasons I've spent my career focused on credit unions. Their mission aligns with why I entered technology in the first place – to use innovation to genuinely improve people's lives.”
Artificial intelligence and the industry’s current movement toward real-time financial experiences are among tech trends on his radar. “Whether it's real-time payments, deeper data integration, predictive financial insights, or embedded financial services, members increasingly expect their financial institution to anticipate their needs rather than simply respond to requests,” he said.
As the credit union industry continues to evolve, Howell said C-level leaders should not look at technology partnerships as vendor relationships but rather strategic relationships. “Credit unions need partners who understand their mission, appreciate their culture, and are willing to invest alongside them,” he told Finopotamus. “The best fintech partnerships happen when both organizations measure success the same way: by improving the member experience.”
If you are interested in learning more and offering your members a thoughtful digital banking platform, click below to schedule a demo.