7Rivers Q&A: Enabling Modern Data Processing

Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based 7Rivers gives its clients the tools to draw actionable insights and real-world applications from their data. A-Team Group Data Management Insight spoke to Jessica Emhoff, Vice President of Marketing, about the company and how it is empowering financial institutions.

Data Management Insight: Hello Jessica. Can you tell us a bit about how 7Rivers was formed and how it come into being?

Jessica Emhoff: 7Rivers was founded by Paul Stillmank, a recognised leader in digital transformation and the former founder of 7Summits, a successful digital experience agency that was acquired by IBM. After the 7Summits journey, Paul launched 7Rivers as a natural next chapter that shifts the focus from digital experiences to data and AI innovation.

Under Paul’s leadership, 7Rivers is purpose built to help organisations become Augmented Enterprises, companies that harness data and AI to operate smarter, faster, and more strategically. The company is grounded in a belief that with the right data, the right platform and the right partner, any business can navigate to new heights.

DMI: How does 7Rivers serve the data needs of financial institutions?

JE: 7Rivers helps financial institutions modernise their data infrastructure, reduce technical debt and unlock new opportunities by leveraging Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud and modern data architectures. We have helped numerous financial organisations successfully transition from legacy environments to scalable, governed platforms that support real-time analytics, compliance and AI-driven innovation.

As a recognised Snowflake Elite Services Partner, 7Rivers has also earned the Snowflake Financial Services Competency, demonstrating deep industry expertise and validated success in solving complex data challenges for banks, insurers, and fintechs.

Use cases we’ve been executing on for financial institutions include:

• Predicting customer churn and increasing retention through AI-powered behavioural modelling
• Building Customer 360 platforms to personalise experiences and drive engagement
• Automating compliance reporting and enhancing data lineage and governance with Data Vault 2.0
• Forecasting deposits and lending demand using predictive analytics
• Optimising marketing and product strategies with GenAI-enhanced segmentation and persona development
• Integrating external and partner data securely for better risk modeling and fraud detection

Whether it’s enabling secure data collaboration, powering enterprise AI workloads, or driving operational efficiency, 7Rivers delivers the tools, expertise, and accelerators financial institutions need to compete and grow in today’s dynamic environment.

DMI: What is the driving mission behind 7Rivers?

DMI: How does 7Rivers deploy AI for financial institutions?

• We Unlock Business Value with AI-Powered Solutions Built for the Financial Industry.

7Rivers partners with financial institutions to deploy AI in ways that are secure, scalable and aligned with business goals. We help banks, insurers and financial service providers apply AI to solve real business problems — from customer retention to risk mitigation and operational optimisation.

Our proven methodology ensures responsible AI adoption while accelerating outcomes and building enterprise-wide momentum.

• AI Deployment Framework for Financial Institutions

1. Discover High-Value AI Use Cases

We begin with a business-first discovery process, identifying the highest impact opportunities for AI deployment. Through executive workshops and assessments tailored to financial services, we prioritise use cases such as customer churn prediction, intelligent underwriting, hyper-personalised banking experiences, fraud detection and AI-assisted sales enablement.

2. Modernise the Data Foundation

AI is only as strong as the data behind it. We help clients migrate from fragmented systems to modern, cloud-based platforms like Snowflake. This includes implementing governed data pipelines, enabling real-time access, and preparing data for AI at scale. We deploy frameworks like Data Vault 2.0 to establish a resilient and compliant data architecture.

For one Fortune 100 insurance provider, we implemented a scalable Data Vault 2.0 model on Snowflake. The solution automated ingestion, consolidated siloed data, and laid the foundation for real-time analytics and AI initiatives.

3. Build and Train AI Models

With a solid foundation in place, we develop and deploy AI solutions targeted to clients’ business goals. This includes machine learning for behavioural forecasting, natural language processing for document and message understanding, and generative AI models to automate content creation, underwriting summaries, or adviser scripts.

At a national financial institution serving millions of accounts, we applied machine learning to segment customers based on spending and saving behaviours. These models now power personalised marketing campaigns and retention programs.

4. Integrate AI into Business Workflows

We don’t stop at model development. We embed AI into day-to-day operations through user-ready applications and enterprise LLMs. Whether deployed in a banker portal, claims processing system, or customer support interface, these solutions are built with a focus on usability, security and impact.

7Rivers accelerators like Secure, Profiler, ConversionAI, and Optimizer ensure proper governance, access control, speed,  and performance tuning across Snowflake environments.

5. Optimise, Scale, and Govern

Once AI is in production, we continuously refine model performance, monitor business value and manage regulatory compliance. Our managed services ensure the long-term success and adaptability of clients’ AI ecosystems. We provide full visibility into usage, accuracy, and business KPIs such as conversion rates, fraud detection speed and retention improvements.

Some of the results delivered for our clients

• Increase in customer lifetime value through intelligent churn prevention
• Decrease in acquisition costs using AI-powered segmentation and targeting
• Improved operational efficiency through automation and intelligent workflows
• Faster claims and loan processing by reducing manual effort with GenAI tools

DMI: What does 7Rivers see as the main forces in data and tech for FIs today?

JE: AI as a strategic enabler, not just a tool: Financial institutions are moving from isolated AI pilots to enterprise-scale adoption. Large Language Models and Generative AI are becoming foundational to how banks and insurers automate processes, personalise services, reduce risk and make real-time decisions. 7Rivers supports this shift by deploying enterprise LLMs, Data Native applications, and AI accelerators designed for financial services use cases.

Data modernisation is a prerequisite for transformation: Outdated infrastructure and disconnected systems continue to block progress. Financial institutions must consolidate fragmented data sources, improve governance, and adopt cloud-based architecture to power modern analytics and AI. 7Rivers modernises data foundations through scalable platforms like Snowflake and frameworks such as Data Vault 2.0, enabling future-ready, compliant data ecosystems.

Real-time customer insight is now table stakes: Customers expect highly personalised, context-aware experiences across every interaction. This requires unified, real-time visibility into customer behaviour, financial activity, and engagement signals. 7Rivers delivers Customer360 capabilities, predictive models for churn and upsell and embedded intelligence to help institutions serve customers proactively and profitably.

Regulatory pressure is increasing and shifting: ****Governments and regulators are now focused on the responsible use of AI, explainability of decisions, and data transparency. Financial institutions must implement solutions that go beyond compliance and build trust through governed data practices. 7Rivers incorporates traceability, access controls and audit-ready governance into every AI deployment.

Cost efficiency and scalability are non-negotiable: ****Competitive and economic pressures are forcing institutions to do more with less. This means optimising compute usage, automating repetitive work, and shortening the time it takes to deliver business value. Through accelerators like Snowflake Optimiser and automated data pipelines, 7Rivers helps financial clients scale without increasing cost or complexity.

Human and AI collaboration will define the augmented enterprise: The future of financial services lies in systems where humans and AI work together. Whether it’s AI copilots for financial advisors, automated claims summaries for underwriters, or intelligent assistants for customer service, augmented roles will outperform traditional ones. 7Rivers enables this future through thoughtfully designed applications that empower people with intelligent, data-driven tools.

DMI: How do you see 7Rivers evolving over the next five years?

JE: Over the next five years, we see 7Rivers continuing to lead the shift from traditional IT services to business-first, AI-native consulting. We will:

• Launch more AI accelerators to reduce time-to-value for enterprise clients
• Deepen our Snowflake partnership to help organizations fully unlock the AI Data Cloud
• Grow our portfolio of managed AI services to support continuous transformation
• Continue investing in talent, tooling, and training to stay ahead of AI’s rapid evolution

Above all, we will remain focused on making AI real for our clients, creating intelligent systems that drive measurable business value and empower people to do their best work.