Constant AI has promoted Lisa Cote to Chief Financial Officer as the fintech expands its work with credit unions.
Cote joined the Portland-based company as Controller and has led the development of its finance function during a period of growth. She steps into the top finance role after a career that included nearly two decades at Foreside Financial Group.
At Foreside, she joined during its early-stage startup phase and later rose to Controller. The business went on to become a major third-party ETF distributor in the United States, supporting more than 100 issuers and 550 funds before a private equity-backed acquisition.
Constant AI sells software for credit union loan operations and focuses on what it describes as agentic AI tools. Cote has played a central role in building its financial operations as the company has grown.
The promotion follows a busy period for the business. Over the past year, it launched Nia, which can complete a skip-a-pay transaction from start to finish without staff involvement, and was selected as the first fintech partner in Eltropy's Agentic AI Platform, a network serving more than 750 credit unions across North America.
Chief Executive Officer and Founder Catherine York Powers outlined the rationale for the move.
"Lisa has been through what it takes to scale a company from its earliest days through a significant outcome, and she's applied that experience at Constant AI since day one. She doesn't just manage the numbers. She understands what they mean for where we're going. From structuring capital to keeping operations tight during a fundraise, Lisa makes high-stakes decisions with a calm precision that the rest of the company relies on. I call her the 'velvet hammer.' She's earned this role," Powers said.
Finance role
The appointment puts an experienced finance executive in a senior role as Constant AI looks to widen its reach in the credit union sector. Cote's background combines startup finance, internal controls and growth-stage management, all important for younger fintech companies navigating fundraising and expansion.
Its transaction infrastructure has processed more than 1.5 million automated transactions. Constant AI also operates as a credit union service organisation owned by its parent organisation, a structure that aligns its governance with the credit union market it serves.
Cote said the role appealed to her because it offered the chance to help shape a growing business from within the finance function.
"You don't come across many opportunities where the work excites you and the company is still in the thick of growing. That's where I do my best work - laying the financial groundwork so everything else can take off. Constant AI has given me that, and getting to do that inside a women-owned, women-run company? That part means a lot. I'm proud to step into this role," Cote said.
Before stepping into this role, Cote spent years sharpening her expertise in building robust internal financial controls and scaling high-growth enterprises. Her appointment comes at a critical juncture for Constant AI, which is aggressively scaling its automated loan servicing and loss mitigation platforms across North America.
By reinforcing its executive suite with a veteran strategist, the company is positioning itself to securely navigate upcoming venture capital fundraising rounds. Industry analysts note that Cote's blend of startup agility and corporate governance background makes her uniquely suited to bridge the gap between fintech innovation and traditional banking regulations.
Her leadership is expected to immediately optimize the company's capital allocation strategies as they onboard a record number of new credit union partners this year.