Fulton Bank Appoints Kelly Dearwester As Chief Data and Analytics Officer
"Our goal going forward remains the same. Creating long-term value by growing the company, delivering effectively for customers, and operating with excellence"
Fulton Bank has appointed Kelly Dearwester as its new Chief Data and Analytics Officer. They are tasking the 20-year veteran with leading enterprise data strategy, governance, and analytics across the $30 billion Pennsylvania-based bank's retail, commercial, and wealth management operations.
Dearwester appointment coincides with regional banks facing intensifying pressure to match Big Tech's data maturity while navigating stringent regulatory scrutiny around customer data governance.
Dearwester steps into the role after serving as inaugural Chief Data Officer at Old National Bank, where he orchestrated a comprehensive data transformation spanning 200+ applications while supporting 4,500 employees through three major M&A cycles, delivering record EPS growth in the process.
His mandate is to unify siloed data estates created by decades of organic growth and acquisitions. Previously, Dearwester held pivotal data leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, including Chief Data Officer for Consumer Credit and Global Data Officer for HR/CAO.
There he architected enterprise data platforms that powered credit risk models and talent analytics at scale, proving his ability to deliver production-grade data infrastructure under Wall Street's performance standards.
He also founded Premier Link LLC, a technology services firm, and advised state governments on digital modernization. Fulton already utilizes AI for enhancing customer service, digital marketing, and internal operations, deploying chatbots, predictive personalization, and operational automation.
Dearwester's mandate builds on this foundation, scaling siloed pilots into enterprise-grade AI orchestrated through unified data infrastructure.
Dearwester's non-traditional path adds unique credibility to his appointment. A former U.S. Air Force officer with Top Secret (TS/SCI) clearance, he served on presidential security detail and SWAT operations.
This background resonates particularly as banks confront rising cyber threats and the need for airtight data governance amid AI adoption. At Fulton, Dearwester inherits responsibility for the full data stack, architecture, governance, engineering, analytics, and operations.
Fulton operates 200 banking centers across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware, serving 30 billion in assets, a footprint demanding sophisticated customer 360 views that Dearwester's JPMorgan experience uniquely equips him to deliver.
“Our goal going forward remains the same: creating long-term value by growing the company, delivering effectively for customers, and operating with excellence so that we can continue to serve all of our stakeholders,” said Curt Myers, Chairman and CEO of Fulton Bank.