Chime’s Director of Data Governance on building a culture of thoughtful, scalable data governance at Chime®.
For Artem Sholomytskyy, building Chime’s data governance function from the ground up is more than a professional milestone—it’s personal. As an immigrant, he understands firsthand how daunting it can be to navigate the U.S. financial system. “I would’ve loved to have Chime when I first moved to the U.S.,” he says. “It was overwhelming to get started financially when my family first got here, so supporting Chime’s mission is deeply meaningful to me.”
Now Director of Data Governance at Chime, Artem brings a rare blend of traditional banking discipline, fintech agility, and a lifelong curiosity about the power of data. His journey has taken him from traditional institutions to high-growth startups, and through it all, he's remained obsessed with one question: How do we make data a tool to build trust, not just technology?
From process to purpose: A career shaped by data
Artem’s early career in traditional banking gave him a front-row seat to the mechanics of financial institutions—but it wasn’t until he left that world that he began to truly appreciate data as a strategic asset. “A lot of companies are data companies,” he says, “Some just don’t know it yet.”
His curiosity deepened during his MBA at Berkeley Haas, where a data strategy course taught by Gregory LaBlanc crystallized a key insight: good data isn't just about accuracy—it’s the foundation for better decisions, better products, and ultimately, better experiences. “Seeing poor decisions and failed products helped me understand just how critical high-quality, consistent data really are,” Artem reflects.
Building from the ground up at Chime
Artem joined Chime after leading a post-IPO data governance function at another fintech, where reconciliation issues with partners underscored the existential importance of reliable data. When Chime came calling, the draw wasn’t just the opportunity to build a new function again—it was the alignment with the company’s mission.
“At my previous company, I didn’t always feel that mission alignment,” Artem says. “At Chime, it was immediate—in the work, the people, the outcomes. That fulfillment was something I was missing.”
He was also struck by Chime’s strong data culture: “Every product requirements doc has a data component. The teams are experimenting, demoing new products, thinking upstream about what kind of data they’ll need to measure success. That’s rare.”
Navigating complexity—and opportunity
Asked about his first impression of Chime’s data landscape, Artem is candid: “We’ve accumulated tremendous data assets, but they’re not always as organized or governed as we’d like. Sometimes, that’s just the reality of a fast-growing company.”
But early on, Artem noticed that Chime’s tech stack is complex, and data touch nearly every team. That means collaboration and alignment are essential—and so is the ability to find quick wins that deliver member value. “The key is making progress while understanding where you are on the spectrum between access and control,” he says. “Governance can’t become a bottleneck.”
The role of data governance: To protect and enable
At its core, Artem sees data governance as a balancing act between two priorities: protecting data and enabling its use.
Protection means data security, compliance, access management, and regulatory responsibility. “In a fintech like Chime, losing trust through a data breach could be incredibly damaging,” Artem explains. “Our responsibility—one we take very seriously—is to make sure the right people are looking at the right data at the right time.”
Enablement, on the other hand, is about ensuring data is discoverable, accessible, high-quality, and actionable. “We’re building practices and tooling so that Chimers don’t need to worry about what’s upstream—so they can trust the data they use.”
His approach is grounded in a “three lines of defense” model, borrowed from traditional banking, that spans business, compliance and legal, and internal audit. He also partners closely with teams like product, engineering, finance, and risk. “We’re all stewards of data,” he says. “Even if the governance team is new, this work has been happening at Chime for years.”
Staying member-obsessed
One of Artem’s favorite parts of joining Chime? The Member Obsession bootcamp. “It was a full day dedicated to member stories, personas, and listening to real support calls,” he says. “But it doesn’t stop at onboarding.”
He actively seeks out opportunities to talk to members—whether it’s during organized feedback sessions or when he sees someone using a Chime card in the wild. “I like to ask: what made you a member? What keeps you with us? What other products do you use and why?”
It’s not just curiosity. It’s a reminder that data governance—like every other function at Chime—ultimately supports the member experience. “We may not be member-facing, but our work has a direct impact on trust, transparency, and value—which means it has an immeasurable impact on our members.”
Defining success and building for the future
So how does Artem define success? He’s still working on it, but a few non-negotiables stand out:
Auditability and compliance: “We aim to be the best-audited team at Chime,” he says, citing regulatory requirements and the company’s growing visibility as drivers of success.
Enablement and engagement: “We’re improving metadata quality in our data catalog, increasing ownership, tagging, and classification, and making it easier for Chimers to engage with data.”
Demonstrating data value: “Ultimately, we want to show how data drives outcomes—whether that’s faster product iterations, better reporting, or more meaningful insights.”
Looking ahead, Artem sees governance as a storytelling engine. “The data team is closest to some of the most powerful stories about how Chime works,” he says. “If we can break down friction and surface that insight, we can be a source of thought leadership for the entire company.”