Profile: Shawn Leitner

Name: Shawn Leitner

Current Jobs: VP & Senior Product Manager, Enterprise Digital, KeyBank / Chief Technology Officer, Sway Mobility

City: Cleveland

Hometown: Fond du Lac, WI

Q: What is it that you do at KeyBank and Sway Mobility?

KeyBank is a bank-based financial services company that provides deposit, lending, cash management, financial wellness, and investment services to retail consumers and businesses in 15 states. KeyBank also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies throughout the United States.

At Sway Mobility, our startup provides a robust and equitable car-sharing platform that allows property owners, corporate campuses, and cities to use electric vehicles (EVs) and mobile technology to offer more mobility options for their residents, tenants, and employees.

Q: What’s a problem that you are working to solve?

At KeyBank, we are working on improving the customer experience and operations of the commercial products that our business customers use. Like any financial services company, we have numerous commercial products that businesses use, including loans, deposit accounts, card products, real estate, and equipment financing. Those of us on the Enterprise Digital team are looking to improve the compatibility of these products and how they work together, so that our business customers have the best experience possible, our operations are smooth and efficient, and our technology stack is modern and flexible.

At Sway Mobility, we found that middle markets like Cleveland have problems connecting people to jobs and experiences if they choose to not have a car. The infrastructure and land-use policies of middle markets are heavily slanted towards the personal automobile, even with the availability of public transportation and the recent explosion of e-scooters. Our platform allows customers who do not have cars to use car-sharing as an alternative means of mobility.

Q: What’s a lesson you’ve learned that has helped shaped your work?

Networking is extremely important to learning and vital to personal and career growth. Networking was never second nature to me, so I had to work hard at it, and that investment in time, money, and effort was one of the best I’ve made in my career.

And it doesn’t just mean networking with people outside your organization, networking within your current organization is vital too, as it allows you to build strong partnerships and accomplish things much easier. Today’s connected society makes it relatively easy and I use these tools (Twitter, LinkedIn, Meetup, Slack, email, instant messenger) to build and maintain a strong network, both inside and outside of work, that help me both professionally and personally.

So, create a network before you need one, so that you can tap into that network when you need it.

Q: What’s a trend in technology or innovation that you believe doesn’t get enough attention?

Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology is a subset of the larger Internet of Things (IoT) movement that allows a vehicle to talk to its environment, like other vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians, traffic signals, trains, highways, tollbooths, and parking garages. The advances in this technology will create a safer, more efficient transportation environment and, while it is being driven by autonomous cars, will benefit us all, regardless of the mode of transportation we choose to use.

Q: What’s a recent book, podcast or news story that you found interesting?

This Forbes report: 100 Stats On Digital Transformation And Customer Experience. It is a bundle of other articles, and all of them are focused on organizations that are have gone through, are going through, or are planning on going through a digital transformation.

There is a lot of unpack there, but there is something for everyone, topics that span industries, experiences, and customers. The fascinating part is that many organizations acknowledge and desire to be digital-first, but are many are hamstrung by technology challenges, despite there being more technology solutions and options than ever before.

Q: What is your favorite place in Ohio?

Cedar Point on a weekday in the summer, no better place to be. I’m a huge roller coaster fan, so are my two sons (my wife not so much) - and it’s located on the shores of a Great Lake. The views of Lake Erie from the top of the Millennium Force are picture perfect. A close second is Progressive Field during any Tribe game, but probably not in April.

Q: What makes Ohio special to you?

I moved to Ohio from Wisconsin when I was in high school when my father got a new job. I then attended Bowling Green State University (Ay Ziggy Zoomba!) where I received an excellent education and met lifelong friends from all around our fine state – Youngstown, Cleveland, Akron, and Cincinnati. I then landed a software development role in Cleveland, met my wife (who is from Youngstown), and I’ve been in Cleveland ever since.

Why do I love Ohio? That’s easy, it’s the people! Ohioans support each other and have a strong work effort to get the job done well.

You may connect with Shawn on LinkedIn here.