Genesis Global Gets a New Captain to Steer Its AI-First Future

Genesis Global is officially entering its next chapter—with co-founder James Harrison taking the helm as CEO, succeeding Stephen Murphy, who led the fintech firm for over a decade. The leadership shift, announced today, marks a strategic turning point for the software provider as financial institutions increasingly look to AI-driven platforms to replace legacy systems and manual processes.

Founded by Harrison and Murphy, Genesis has grown into a key player in financial market infrastructure, offering software solutions built on its AI-native application development platform. The company serves some of the world’s biggest financial names, including Bank of America, Citi, BNY, and ING.

“Leading Genesis has been the thrill of my career,” said Murphy, reflecting on his decade-long journey transforming the firm into a global tech force. With AI redefining the software landscape, he added, “the opportunities ahead far exceed what James and I imagined when we started.”

A Platform Built for AI—and Non-Tech Users

Genesis isn’t just another enterprise tech provider. It’s positioning itself as the go-to platform for financial firms trying to break free from spreadsheet chaos, outdated infrastructure, and bloated vendor stacks. The company’s “buy-to-build” model lets clients either customize Genesis-built solutions or create their own, even if they don’t have in-house tech talent.

The platform’s component-driven architecture brings an important twist: It embeds compliance and governance controls that make AI safe to deploy within strict financial regulatory environments. For firms wary of handing over sensitive data to black-box models, that’s a serious value proposition.

And here’s the kicker: Genesis lets non-technical business users build robust, compliant financial apps—potentially a game-changer in an industry still reliant on end-user computing workarounds.

Riding the AI Wave and T+1 Compliance Push

With T+1 settlement timelines looming in Europe and regulatory scrutiny growing around spreadsheet-driven processes, Genesis finds itself in the right place at the right time. Demand is up, particularly from firms racing to automate workflows and modernize systems before compliance deadlines hit.

The company has also leaned hard into AI. Its applications are “AI-ready at runtime,” which means they’re equipped for a future where digital assistants and AI agents handle everything from data processing to workflow automation. Genesis’ guardrails ensure that these AI features don’t turn into governance nightmares—a critical concern for risk-averse financial institutions.

“We’re laser-focused on helping our clients capitalize on AI and other technical changes,” said incoming CEO James Harrison, who brings deep experience from stints at Credit Suisse, Merrill Lynch, HSBC, and others. Now based in New York, Harrison has also worked in London, São Paulo, and Hong Kong—bringing a global lens to Genesis’ next phase of growth.

A Strategic Handoff, Not a Farewell

This isn’t your typical founder exit story. Murphy and Harrison built Genesis from scratch, and this transition seems more like a strategic evolution than a power shuffle. With Harrison’s tech-first pedigree and Murphy’s legacy still deeply embedded in the firm’s DNA, Genesis appears well positioned to tackle the next wave of fintech transformation.

While many legacy vendors are scrambling to retrofit AI into outdated stacks, Genesis was built for this moment. And as financial firms continue their digital rewiring—driven by cost pressure, compliance demands, and client expectations—Genesis’ AI-native, compliance-ready platform could be the blueprint others try to follow.