James McCombe

CEO & Founder @ Mitori.ai

About

I build AI automation that runs, not slide decks about AI that don’t. I’m a 20x engineer, not because I type faster, but because I architect systems where AI agents do the work of entire teams. As CEO of Mitori, I lead a team that observes how organisations actually work, identifies where AI creates the most operating leverage, and then builds and operates the automation end-to-end. We don’t hand over a report and disappear. We deploy AI agents, manage the infrastructure, and optimise continuously, collections, billing, customer operations, back-office workflows.Real results: 3X payment recovery for a healthcare staffing platform. 50% staff reduction in 90 days. $3.5M in projected annual savings across seven department models.Mitori started as an internal capability inside Pilot, the fintech compliance platform I founded. We built AI-powered workflow automation to solve our own operational challenges, then realised the engine we’d created had far broader commercial value. Now we’re deploying it for mid-market and enterprise clients who need AI that actually operates, not another strategy engagement.Before Mitori, I spent two decades founding, scaling, and exiting technology businesses, from an 8-figure fintech exit to building AI-powered product platforms and leading digital strategy for Coca-Cola, Ford, and Nike. I’ve held every seat: CEO, CTO, founder, operator.Currently studying Information Governance at Auckland University, Graduated Regulatory & Antitrust Law at Cornell and completing the CFA Level I program, because the best AI operators understand both the technology and the governance frameworks around it.If you’re a consulting firm, system integrator, or transformation partner looking for an AI automation engine your enterprise clients can actually use, let’s talk

Country

New Zealand

City

Auckland

Industry

Financial Services

Skill

Financial Reporting, SaaS Development, FinTech, Financial Services, Financial Planning, Consumer Products, Client Management, Strategic Marketing, Growth Strategy, Wealth Management, Media Production, Content Development, Media Buying, Investment Strategy , AI & Technology Innovation, Business Incubation, AI Integration, E-commerce Strategy, Product Development, Business Scaling

Experience

CEO & Founder

Mitori.ai

2025 - Present · 1 yr

California, United States

AI workflow automation platform that observes how organisations actually work, then builds and operates AI agents to automate what matters most. Born from internal tooling at Pilot, now deployed for enterprise clients across collections, healthcare billing, and back-office operations. Discovery → Build → Managed Service. We don’t consult — we deploy, operate, and optimize. Key results: 3X payment recovery for healthcare staffing client. 50% staff reduction achieved, 75% projected. Seven department automation models with $3.5M in projected annual savings.

Founder

Pilot

2024-6 - Present · 2 yrs 4 mos

San Francisco, CA

Compliance and trust infrastructure for retail trading platforms. Built real-time risk analytics, conduct scoring, and compliance-by-design tools for brokers and regulators. The AI automation engine we developed internally became the foundation for Mitori.

Founder & CEO

Future Kimonos

2016-1 - Present · 10 yrs 9 mos

New York, United States

Built a multi-million-dollar custom apparel brand powered by AI at every layer — generative design, autonomous customization engines, 3D rendering, AI-driven supply chain, and full-stack AI for operations. Our point of difference in the market has always been technology-first product development, turning what’s traditionally a manual craft industry into an automated, scalable platform.

Business Change Consultant

Polaris Academy

2024-9 - 2025-4 · 8 mos

Remote / China

Initially a 3 month consultancy contract, extended into more COO and CRO execution role. Designed and led the two-branch expansion plan, built AI-powered flash-card platform (Whisper + LangChain), rolled out OKRs and Jira workflows as well as an executed marketing plan that lifted monthly enrolments 115 %+ within 90 days.

Chief Technology Officer

ilabb

2021-1 - 2022-2 · 1 yr 2 mos

Auckland, New Zealand

Led technology division through digital transformation. Built and directed a team of digital and tech specialists, formed key agency and software partnerships, and executed strategic initiatives to scale digital infrastructure rapidly.

Chief Executive Officer

Concept Patterns

2017-10 - 2019-10 · 2 yrs 1 mo

Auckland, New Zealand

Directed a global supplier of glass optimization software, steering high-level executive decisions and implementing cutting-edge technological solutions. Led strategic planning and business model innovation, resulting in profitable growth and a successful exit.

Founder - CEO

Consumer Financial Distribution Limited

2012-4 - 2016-4 · 4 yrs 1 mo

Auckland

Built high-volume transaction processing and consumer payment platform. Led digital strategy, compliance, and risk management systems. Grew to strategic exit with 8-figure valuation.

Co-Founder / Head of Digital Strategy

NODE

2011 - 2016-4 · 5 yrs

Britomart, Auckland. NZ

Digital strategy and campaign execution for Coca-Cola, Ford, Nike, and enterprise brands. Award-winning work across emerging digital platforms. Built and led a high-performance creative and strategy team.