As Indiana’s tech community continues to grow and mature, it’s getting harder and harder to narrow down the winners for our annual Tech 25 Awards program. Clearly, there is a wealth of tech talent in the Hoosier state, and they are making incredible moves. Join us in celebrating the Tech 25 class of 2020 through this profile series and learn a bit more about each winner.

With over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Mike Horrocks possesses a unique blend of financial expertise, technology skills, industry insights, and product management experience. He is the VP of Product Management for Baker Hill and previously served as Baker Hill’s VP of Marketing and Client Services. He is also an adjunct professor at IU Kelley School of Business.

Mike started his banking career at Zions Bank after attending Brigham Young University and earned his MBA at Indiana University. In his free time, he enjoys traveling internationally with his wife and five children.

What led you to get into tech and this occupation? What was your first job in tech?

Several of my finance professors at Brigham Young University were also highly involved in the tech scene, and they were instrumental in guiding me to connect banking and technology together. My first job in tech was the ownership of the pricing and profitability solution at Zions Bancorp and I was responsible for connecting all lines of businesses across three separate banks in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada.  This was a major catalyst in developing an enterprise view of customer relations, credit insights, and risk spectrums that were utilized in growing and optimizing the business for the bank.

When you think of a day in your life, what are your main responsibilities?

My main focus is to orchestrate the innovation and insights among my team to address the challenges our banking clients are facing in an ever-changing financial environment. With the objective to grow revenue while increasing innovation, we are constantly looking to redesign and reimagine solutions to a new and complex problem set.  Staying ahead of the digital drivers to make sure that the UX is best in class is also a key focus in my day to day, ensuring that Baker Hill is continued to be recognized as a leader in the fintech space.

Which resources would you recommend to those who want to advance their skills?

I would say the best resource is to surround yourself with people that can help you grow. Constantly ask them what you can do differently and how you can innovate as a team. Their diverse talents and insights will push you into new realms of understanding what is going on in the market and within your organization.  I look to have mentors from across the industry and build out those relationships. I also try to find thought leaders outside my industry so I can pull in their best practices.  Having that diversity in your network provides the variables that allow you to address and design creative solutions to problems of all sorts.

Mike Horrocks is a Tech 25 winner who is helping to grow and improve the tech landscape of Indiana. He was nominated by his SVP Operations, John Watts. To learn more about the Tech 25 Awards, click here.

Visit the Indianapolis Business Journal website to see the full listing and celebration of the 2020 Tech 25 honorees in the joint CTO of the Year and Tech 25 Awards supplement. You can also watch a video of the livestream from the CTO of the Year and Tech 25 Awards virtual event.