Mona M. Vernon

I lead Fidelity Labs, the internal new business incubator at Fidelity Investments. Fidelity Labs focuses on the accelerated development of new products and business lines for the firm, such as the industry-leading Student Debt Employer Contribution Program. First introduced at the end of 2017, it allows employers to help their employees pay off student debt through after-tax contributions toward participants’ student loans. The program now has 25 plan sponsor clients, with more than 9,000 enrolled participants. Prior to joining Fidelity, I was the Chief Technology Officer at Thomson Reuters Labs. She founded and scaled the Thomson Reuters network of global innovation labs and oversaw the research and development function including the Center for Cognitive Computing and blockchain engineering. I also managed the corporate start-up investment fund. I was trained as a materials and mechanical engineer. In 2009, I went back to graduate school to get a degree in engineering systems and in business management. My graduate degree enables me to explore new problems to solve in the field of information technology. I love my job because everyday I try to make learn about new technologies and try to understand their implications for our business and for our customers. Prior to joining Thomson Reuters, I worked in two technology start-ups. I started as a senior engineer doing some mechanical and materials design and then I became a manager for new technology development. I live in Boston with my two children Layla and Liam.