Capital Farm Credit makes technology a strategic pillar for modernization and growth

IT leader Joseph Paulraj follows a clear digital vision to modernize systems and experiences for Capital Farm Credit customers and community

Texas-based Capital Farm Credit has served agricultural communities for more than a century, but like many financial institutions, it has faced mounting pressure to modernize systems and deliver new digital capabilities.

EVP and chief digital officer Joseph Paulraj is Capital Farm Credit’s first executive technology leader in its 110-year history, and he stepped into that role with a vision to reframe technology as a strategic pillar in the organization. Under his leadership, the institution built a clear digital vision focused on growth and modernization, aligning IT initiatives to the outcomes that matter most to the institution, its customers, and the community.

Mapping out a digital future

Paulraj joined Capital Farm Credit in 2020 with the singular focus of supporting a core banking system implementation. When he and his team successfully brought that project over the finish line in 2022, Paulraj was already thinking about what should come next. The goal was simple but ambitious – a three-year digital roadmap focused on improving customer experience, employee experience, and operational excellence.

He took his plan to executive leadership and the board at Capital Farm Credit, anchoring the roadmap in those three areas of improvement. “That really created a new perspective – that we are moving technology from a cost center to a strategy pillar,” he explained.

A trusted advisor behind the scenes

From the beginning of his journey at Capital Farm Credit, Paulraj has leaned on the support of IT research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group. In 2020, this included a framework that successfully guided the institution’s strategy and initiatives during COVID. As he later built out his digital roadmap, he once again turned to Info-Tech: “I have to acknowledge that Info-Tech has enabled me in every step of this.”

Over the years, Paulraj has used a range of Info-Tech research and services to support, pressure test, and accelerate his efforts, from annual key priority planning and Info-Tech LIVE conferences to analyst meetings: “Info-Tech analysts are spot on – they have the industry expertise to tell you why projects fail and why projects succeed,” said Paulraj. “I also have to mention the volume of research materials Info-Tech has on its portal – it’s massive.”

“Info-Tech analysts are spot on – they have the industry expertise to tell you why projects fail and why projects succeed. I also have to mention the volume of research materials Info-Tech has on its portal – it’s massive.”
- Joseph Paulraj, EVP, Chief Digital Officer, Capital Farm Credit

Turning modernization into customer satisfaction

One of the clearest customer outcomes of this modernization effort has been AgriNext, an online customer portal designed to streamline the loan application and approval experience and set the foundation for broader digital banking capabilities in the future. Paulraj shared that the customer experience score on this newly launched portal has averaged a remarkable 9.2 out of 10: “We far exceeded Farm Credit benchmarks. We closed around $154 million in loans with that platform in the last three to four months.”

The institution plans to take AgriNext across the Farm Credit system, positioning Capital Farm Credit as a model for peers looking to accelerate their own modernization efforts without starting from scratch.

Creating a common foundation for AI adoption

Modernization also meant building an AI foundation. In 2024, Paulraj helped convene a group of entities across the Farm Credit system to accelerate learning on AI capabilities, governance, and use cases. The effort resulted in three use cases in production, including an AI sales coach to improve the quality of sales conversations with customers.

Paulraj again turned to Info-Tech for support: “I leveraged Info-Tech research materials to think about how to holistically handle AI lifecycle within the organization. The material really helped me define certain areas of focus: Are we thinking about risk? Are we thinking about compliance? Are we thinking about privacy? It’s been successful, and I feel pretty good about the progress we have made.”

Delivering value – and measuring it

Modernization is easier to defend when outcomes are quantified. To this end, Paulraj sought to measure the value of Capital Farm Credit’s technology investments. With Info-Tech’s help, he undertook an extensive benchmarking and measurement exercise, both quantitative and qualitative, to identify Farm Credit’s total return on technology investment – with impressive results. “The measurement exercise was massive because we went through all the automations, applications, and services we provide. We arrived at 120% ROI annually for all the technology services that we offer at Capital Farm Credit,” reported.

“The measurement exercise was massive because we went through all the automations, applications, and services we provide. We arrived at 120% ROI annually for all the technology services that we offer at Capital Farm Credit.”
- Joseph Paulraj, EVP, Chief Digital Officer, Capital Farm Credit

Digital innovation rooted in community commitment

For Paulraj, modernization includes staying deeply connected to the agricultural communities that Capital Farm Credit serves. That community-first mindset inspired a partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and led to the spin-off creation of Texas Show Pass, a digital platform designed to streamline an often-frustrating livestock show process. “We provided an end-to-end platform where youth and parents can register online for livestock shows and then also check in at the show.” By investing in community-facing innovations like Texas Show Pass, Capital Farm Credit is building the digital capabilities it needs to serve today’s agricultural customers while preparing for the next generation.