In Hawaiian, mahalo is a word of thanks and respect. In digital banking, Mahalo Technologies places the highest value on people rather than buzzword compliance. The new startup is already the talk of credit union technology circles, and with good reason.
Mahalo has had a people-centric focus from its inception. One of the first orders of business for co-founders Denny Howell and Dan Domek was finding a CEO.
"We firmly believe that it's important to have the right people doing the right jobs," said Howell. "Dan and I are tech guys and we like it that way." The two eventually chose Alan Augustine, another longtime credit union technologist to the fill the role.
"It’s really not that difficult to hit all the right buzzwords," said Augustine. "It’s not just what technology you use; it’s how you apply it. That's why we go out of way to surround ourselves with great people.
According to Augustine, Mahalo Technologies recently brought onboard both Jim Stickley and Ron Murray as investors and active advisors. Stickley is the founder of Stickley on Security and an often-seen cyber security expert on various television shows. Murray is the founder of CUTEK and is known as an industry leader in third-party integration into core data processing systems.
"I have been testing online banking solutions for years" said Stickley "and I have found that cyber security is limited, often treated like it is the responsibility of the financial institution to address through third-party providers. Having the chance to design and integrate robust cyber security technology directly into the banking software changes everything."
"Time and again I have worked with credit unions that are trying to implement a new online banking solution, only to find no real integration process," said Murray. "Being able to help design Mahalo with strong embedded ties directly to the core will save credit unions countless hours, not to mention considerable frustration."
"We’ve really struck on a simple formula," concluded Augustine. "By combining the best technology with the best people, we'll be able to have the greatest possible impact on credit unions of all sizes."
--John San Filippo
Omni Channel Communications
www.omnichannelcommunications.com