Inovatec Systems, a provider of cloud-based software solutions for lenders, hired automotive lending veteran Paul Harder as its chief product officer.

Harder has decades of experience to in both the banking and government sectors. Harder will be joining Veljko Velickovic, Inovatec’s newly appointed head of solution delivery, on the company’s executive team to oversee Inovatec’s product development and customer delivery processes. As chief product officer, Harder will oversee the development of Inovatec’s full suite of solutions, including Inovatec’s integrated LOS and LMS platforms and its customer-facing portal.

Harder most recently served as vice president of auto finance and unsecured lending at CIBC. Prior to that, he served in a variety of roles at RBC Auto Finance in automotive finance, retail lending, insurance and treasury. He also worked in the Canadian federal government in international relations and defense.

According to Harder, he was drawn to working with Inovatec due to his overwhelmingly positive experiences as a client. His first engagement with the company was as a customer with RBC during his time as senior director of retail operations in the company’s automotive lending division. When he moved on to CIBC, he initiated a transition from a legacy system to Inovatec’s automation platform.

“As a client, I came to know and appreciate Inovatec as a reliable partner, distinguished by a ‘can do’ attitude and a product that was years ahead of what we previously had. It was obviously designed by a company that knew auto lending inside out,” Harder said. “I’m delighted to join the leadership team at Inovatec as we grow in size and scope, attracting clients from across the United States and Canada.”

“Paul has proven himself as a transformational leader in the lending sector, and we’re excited to welcome him to the team,” Vlad Kovacevic, CEO and co-founder of Inovatec, said. “His deep industry expertise and experience as an Inovatec customer make him the ideal individual to lead our product development activities. We foresee a bright future for Inovatec with Paul at the helm of our product innovation.”