When it comes to adopting AI, banks and credit unions need a partner they can trust—one with a team of experts who understand both the technology and the unique compliance and security challenges of the financial services industry. That's why we're launching our new blog series, '5 Questions,' to introduce you to the brilliant minds behind Glia's AI before they take the stage at our upcoming Interact 2025 conference in San Diego.

In this first post, we sit down with Dr. Ken Conroy, Glia’s Director of Conversational AI Data Science. He leads the team responsible for building and improving Glia’s Voice and Digital Virtual Assistants (GVAs), ensuring they can intelligently automate and elevate customer interactions while working seamlessly alongside human agents. Join us as we explore his journey and his vision for a future where AI and humans work together to transform customer interactions in financial services.

1. What exactly do you do at Glia, and how does it impact our customers?

I lead our Data Science team, responsible for the Glia Virtual Assistant (GVA). We help customers by building and improving AI that understands customer intent and helps them perform tasks like checking a balance or transferring money. We focus on solving the most common questions and issues that come up, which means a significant number of customer problems can be resolved automatically without the need for a human agent. As we continue to evolve, we’re making the system more flexible, allowing financial institutions to build personalized solutions for their specific needs, even for less common or unique requests. This helps customers get fast, accurate answers and provides a more personalized experience, whether it's an inbound or even an outbound conversation.

‍2. What did you do before joining Glia?

I started my career as a researcher in Ireland, where I completed my PhD on sensor data management. I focused on using sensors on athletes to automatically detect and analyze their movements in various sports. After graduating, I did postdoctoral work in social media sentiment analysis, studying how public figures were perceived online. Later, I moved to Canada and worked on a lifestyle app that used a recommendation engine to suggest places to go and things to do based on user preferences. All of this ultimately led me to the AI company Finn (which was acquired by Glia) where I built the team and technology that eventually became the Glia Virtual Assistant (GVA).

‍3. What part of Glia’s mission, products and features are you most excited about? 

I am passionate about bridging the gap between automated systems and human agents, creating a unified experience. We are continuously evolving the GVA, allowing for a deeper understanding of specific customer journeys and the development of more robust, ready-to-use products that are both reusable and adaptable. Over time, it will become a more versatile tool that can trigger complex tasks like a mortgage application. The ultimate goal is to create a seamless, integrated system where humans and AI agents work together to efficiently handle customer needs and drive new revenue growth opportunities.

‍4. What does the future of customer interactions look like to you?

Interactions will be more proactive and deeply integrated, moving beyond a simple back-and-forth conversation. I believe we'll see more two-way conversations that can be initiated by either the customer or the business, allowing for more efficient and proactive problem-solving. A key part of this is making the interactions feel as natural as possible, avoiding the robotic feel that can be off-putting. We are creating a personalized experience that is both helpful and effective, without crossing the line from "cool" to "creepy" as we learn how to appropriately use and adapt to customer data. This approach will not only improve customer experience but also allow banks and credit unions to expand and better serve their customers.

5. What’s one “fun fact” about yourself that you’re only slightly embarrassed to share? 

I've probably been on more boats than planes in my life. Growing up in Ireland, I didn't fly on a plane until I was 18. My family and I would often take ferries to France or the UK for vacations, which meant I spent a lot of time on the water. Even though I've flown more for work since moving to Canada, I'm pretty sure my boat count is still higher!

Join Ken at Interact 2025

Thanks to Glia’s team of experts, including Dr. Conroy, Glia is pioneering a new era of responsible AI. 

At Interact 2025, Ken will be sharing his expertise in a session titled "AI Beyond the Hype: Navigating the Super Cycle for Financial Institutions". 

Alongside Jacob Tyler (AI Strategy Lead) and Steven Zhu (Director of Product Management), Ken will discuss how banks and credit unions are moving past experimentation to align AI investments with secure, risk-governed use cases. The session will cover disciplined data governance, bias-checked governance, and Glia's approach to helping financial institutions adopt generative AI for revenue growth and more personalized digital and voice experiences—all while prioritizing security, compliance, and data privacy.

Save your spot—register today: www.glia.com/glia-interact

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