Mike de Vere has always been a numbers guy. As a kid, he gravitated toward math. As a professional, he built a career around data–first turning raw numbers into insights, then turning insights into action. For years, he helped reshape companies like Nielsen, J.D. Power, and Harris Interactive by distilling massive datasets into decision-making tools. He stacked binders of research and insights higher than his desk, chasing precision with the kind of curiosity only true data people understand.
But somewhere along the way, he began asking a different kind of question: What happens when the models are wrong? Not mathematically, but morally–when the systems you’re optimizing were never designed to be fair in the first place?
That question eventually led him to Zest AI.
Under his leadership as CEO, Zest AI has grown into a vital force for financial inclusion. The company’s technology enables lenders to say yes to more borrowers in need, with an average 25% increase in approvals and fully automated decisions. For underserved communities, the impact is even greater–Zest’s models have led to 49% more approvals for Hispanic applicants, 41% for African Americans, 31% for AAPI individuals, and 40% for women.
Along the way, he’s stayed focused on what really drives performance: people. A student of mindfulness and leadership development, Mike teaches, mentors, and builds cultures around presence and clarity. He’s led through crises, launched a startup during the Great Recession, and raised two children as a single parent. These days, his leadership style balances data with humanity, strategy with care, and often includes time with his golden Irish, Hendricks, who’s become a regular at the Zest AI office.
For Mike, it all comes back to the same idea: Do well by doing good. Use data, but don’t lose the human. Build systems that work–then make sure they work for everyone.
