Russ Islamov

About Russ Islamov

AI is reshaping how industries operate — and I\'ve spent the last three years at the center of that shift, and 20+ years before it building the enterprise foundation that makes AI deployable at scale.My career is rooted in FinTech. I\'ve architected solutions, led presales teams, and driven strategic consulting for financial institutions ranging from community credit unions to $30B+ banks — across Fiserv, Q2, Paymentus, Eltropy, and LinkLive.ai. I know core banking systems, payment infrastructure, digital banking platforms, and regulatory frameworks not from a distance, but from 20 years of sitting across the table from the people who run them.Over the past three years, that work has expanded into Healthcare, Government, and Social Assistance — and gone deep on AI. I specialize in AI Communication Journey Engine architecture: conversational AI, intelligent virtual agents, omni-channel orchestration, and real-time agent augmentation, integrated into the CRMs and systems of record these industries depend on. I bring hands-on technical depth in AI voice systems, IVA call flow design, RAG-based knowledge architecture, and workflow automation.The result: 80%+ close rates, 100% proposal advancement,~85% demo-to-close — built on the ability to translate complex AI and enterprise architecture into decisions that C-suites can move on.I speak regularly at Money 20/20, CUNA, Alkami, Fiserv Forum, and Americas Credit Union on where AI and FinTech are converging — and what organizations need to do about it now.

Experience

1. Sr Solutions Consultant

   Linklive

   Aug 2024 — Present

   At LinkLive.ai, I architect and sell AI-powered solutions for regulated industries — combining three years of deep AI practice with 20+ years of FinTech enterprise experience.I design AI Communication Journey Engines: conversational AI, intelligent virtual agents (IVA), real-time agent assist, sentiment analysis, and omni-channel routing — with hands-on depth in IVA call flow design, RAG-based knowledge architecture, and real-time telephony integration.Integration work grounded in core banking systems (Fiserv, Jack Henry, Symitar), CRMs (Salesforce, MS Dynamics, HubSpot), digital banking platforms, and payment infrastructure.Omni-channel strategy across voice, chat, SMS, email, and video — built around the customer journey, not just the channel.

Education

• Doane University

  Business Administration Degree 2002 ­ 2004, Information Systems Management

  2008 — 2011

• Doane University

  Masters of Arts, Management; International Business Emphasis

  2009 — 2011