With TD Ameritrade since 2014 (after 10 years with TD Bank), Sunayna Tuteja has focused on building new ventures from scratch and "leading change that is critical to shaping the future of business," according to the firm. She leads a team building next-generation products, experiences and business models that can "break down barriers to investing and engage more people in their financial futures."
The technology executive also is head of strategy and commercialization for disruptive technologies like AI, blockchain, smart interfaces and virtual reality. Her team has delivered industry-first partnerships and products with Amazon, Facebook, Twitter and Apple.
A designated Certified Financial Planner, Tuteja is pursuing a law degree at Stanford and works with the school's Innovation Lab to support technology advancement.
"My team is driven … by the question: How do we continuously break down the barriers that persist in financial services? By removing points of friction, we strive to make the markets more accessible," she explained.
"Ultimately, our goal is for consumers to invest with more confidence and feel empowered to take charge of their financial success — whether they are retail investors or RIAs and their clients. When technology is deployed in the right way, it can accelerate meaningful education and engagement in the capital markets," Tuteja said.
What tech areas do you most focus on in your job? Cybersecurity is always top of mind, as is our emphasis on making investors' lives easier by making their experience more seamless.
Much of my focus is on giving clients access to education and experts through different platforms such as Twitter, Facebook Messenger, Amazon Alexa and WeChat.
What technology are you most bullish on in the short term? I'm excited about the possibilities that can result from harnessing the collective power of AI, machine learning, automation and messaging platforms in order to make accessing the markets better, faster and smarter.
