Testimonials
Vice President of Development & Analytics Blaze Credit Union
I had the opportunity to work with Paul Zyla as a direct report between May of 2022 until January of 2024 at SPIRE and Blaze Credit Union and have consistently observed his dynamic leadership in action. Paul is a results-driven executive who excels at aligning technology strategy with business objectives to drive measurable growth and transformation. A natural facilitator, he bridges business and technology, empowering the team to make decisions, take ownership, and deliver exceptional outcomes. Paul is an individual with high integrity and fosters a culture of trust, collaboration, and accountability—leading with transparency and a deep commitment to excellence. His strategic insight and steady leadership will position any organization for long-term success.
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Chief Operating Officer at Valley Communities Credit Union
I worked with Paul Zyla on the executive team at Connexus Credit Union, where we partnered on several cross-functional initiatives. Paul is a collaborative, strategic leader with technology, risk, and operations expertise. He brings a calm, straightforward approach to complex challenges and knows how to align technology with business goals. I trusted his judgment and valued his ability to bring structure and momentum to key initiatives. Paul is a strong partner to executives and teams, and I highly recommend him as a senior fractional technology and business leader who can bridge strategy and execution.
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SVP/Chief Operating and Financial Officer at Blaze Credit Union
I worked alongside Paul at SPIRE Credit Union and Blaze Credit Union, serving as senior executives. Paul is a strategic, collaborative, and highly respected leader who always puts the team and the organization's success first. His ability to drive technology and security initiatives forward while building strong business partnerships made a real difference. Paul brings thoughtful leadership, a steady hand, and a focus on delivering results.
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SVP/Chief Marketing Officer at Blaze Credit Union
I worked alongside Paul at SPIRE Credit Union and Blaze Credit Union, where we partnered closely as senior executives in Marketing and IT. Paul is a collaborative and strategic leader who understands how to align technology with business and member experience goals. His ability to bridge IT and Marketing helped drive innovation, improve communication, and strengthen our digital presence. Paul brings a unique combination of technical expertise and business insight, making him an invaluable partner and leader. I highly recommend him to any organization looking for a trusted, forward-thinking technology executive.
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Co-Founder Fenix24 - Information Security
I had the pleasure of working closely with Paul Zyla during his time at Connexus Credit Union. Paul consistently demonstrated strong strategic vision and a collaborative leadership style, especially in the realm of cybersecurity. He brought clarity and focus to our efforts, effectively balancing business priorities with sound risk management. What stood out most was his ability to align diverse stakeholders and turn complex challenges into measurable progress. I highly recommend Paul as a forward-thinking, results-driven leader in both technology and security.
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CTO @ Tradition Capital Bank | Financial Technology Innovator
I had the privilege of working with Paul Zyla as a Senior IT Consultant and Fractional Technology Leader at Tradition Capital Bank (TCB) from August 2024 through January 2025. During this time, Paul played a key role in supporting our digital transformation efforts, particularly guiding and providing expertise in the Alkami Digital Banking migration.
In addition, he provided strategic leadership to help define the future state of TCB’s IT strategy, governance, and business-technology alignment. His contributions extended beyond project execution, enabling TCB to build a scalable, forward-thinking IT framework—at a pace aligned with our business objectives—to support long-term growth.
Paul’s strategic insights and contributions have helped modernize TCB’s IT operations, integrate digital solutions into business processes, and establish a technology-driven foundation for sustainable growth. His guiding principle is ensuring technology serves as a strategic business, driving innovation, operational efficiency, and competitive differentiation, positioning the bank for sustained success in 2025 and beyond.
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Key Contributions:
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Alkami Digital Banking Migration – Assisted in strategic oversight and vendor coordination, contributing to efforts that ensured critical milestones remained on track for the May 2025 go-live. Supported UAT planning, risk mitigation, and integration readiness while enhancing internal collaboration between business and IT teams.
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IT Strategy Development & Execution – Developed a structured framework that enables TCB to execute IT initiatives at its own pace, aligning technology investments with business objectives. Provided a strategic approach to IT service maturity, shifting IT from a support function to an optimized, business-driving enabler that will help support new revenue-generating opportunities.
In the proposed TCB IT strategy, Paul identified key opportunities to align technology with the bank’s strategic business objectives. His recommendations focused on:
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Automating workflows and streamlining processes to improve operational efficiency.
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Enhancing client experiences through scalable and innovative technology solutions.
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Positioning technology as a revenue enabler to support new income streams.
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Ensuring IT investments drive business scalability and long-term growth.
Paul’s insights provided a clear roadmap for leveraging technology as a strategic asset, reinforcing TCB’s ability to compete and innovate in a rapidly evolving financial landscape. He is a trusted, high-impact consultant who brings strategic thinking, deep technical expertise, and a collaborative leadership style.
President - BGSSAFE Strategies - Chief Technology Officer/CTO, Chief Information Officer/CIO, Fractional CTO, Fractional CIO
I’ve had the privilege of knowing and collaborating with Paul for several years, first as fellow CIOs leading technology at Wings Credit Union, SPIRE Credit Union, and Blaze Credit Union, and now as fractional leaders and consultants. Paul is a trusted, strategic advisor who leads with integrity, partnership, and a deep commitment to serving others. His ability to bridge technology and business strategy, while staying true to strong values of faith, family, and service, sets him apart. I highly recommend Paul to any organization seeking a proven technology leader who brings wisdom, collaboration, and results to every engagement.
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Vice President, HR - Employee Operations & Experience at Connexus Credit Union
I had the pleasure of working with Paul Zyla at Connexus Credit Union, where we partnered on several HR and organizational initiatives. Paul is an approachable, strategic leader who brings clarity, calm, and purpose to complex situations. He has a unique ability to make technical issues understandable to non-technical audiences, fostering strong cross-functional collaboration. Paul also brings a great sense of humor that puts people at ease and helps build authentic, trusting relationships. Whether navigating change, staffing, or team development, he was a dependable partner who consistently kept people and culture at the forefront. I highly recommend Paul as a senior technology and business leader who excels at aligning people, process, and performance.​
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Endpoint Operations Manager at Connexus Credit Union
I worked with Paul Zyla during our time at Connexus Credit Union, supporting his initiatives through my role in Support Services. Paul is a steady, thoughtful leader who brings clarity and direction to complex projects. He engaged, listened, and supported his team even when we worked indirectly. I saw firsthand how he connected business needs with technology strategies and built trusted partnerships across departments. I highly recommend Paul as a senior technology leader who leads purposefully, builds strong teams, and delivers results.​​​​
Chief Architect, AON Reinsurance
Paul is a gifted leader, coach, and mentor. I was fortunate to work with Paul at the National Marrow Donor Program (Be the Match) from 1994-2007. Paul was my manager and Director of the IT department. He focused on the success of the organization, patients, and donors, and leading roll out of leading edge medical and research applications for the non-profit.
Paul was a true leader with key attributes that I carry with me today. Paul built a team of creative and committed developers, analysts, engineers, and managers. He realized, as a technology leader, he was in the people business. He understood us, as individuals and surrounded himself with smart people. Paul was able to create simple messaging about the complex technology that we introduced and produced. He ensured the team tuned out noise and focused on accomplishments that move the needle. Paul took calculated risks that were critical for the new technology, applications, and algorithms to succeed and make huge strides for patients. Without risk, you cannot grow.
Paul has a calming personality that makes you feel completely comfortable, even when mistakes are made. He encourages and is always positive. If you are looking for a leader that brings a passion for innovation technology, people, a capability to ensure organizations reach a day-to-day operational maturity plateau, and a strategist that will influence the information technology architecture and can execute, hire Paul.​