About the Team | Taproot Advisory

Expert Consultants

At Taproot Advisory, our team is built on deep industry experience and a shared commitment to helping small to mid-sized banks, credit unions, and fintechs thrive in complex environments.

We understand the pressure to balance regulatory demands, portfolio performance, and sustainable growth—because we’ve led those efforts from the inside. When you work with Taproot, you gain a true partner: one that integrates seamlessly with your team, offers practical, end-to-end solutions, and delivers results grounded in real-world expertise.

From improving underwriting and credit frameworks to navigating complex acquisitions or regulatory findings, Taproot Advisory provides practical, results-driven expertise that drives consistency, resilience, and sustainable growth.

Meet The Leadership

The Taproot team collectively boasts an impressive resume with companies such as GE Capital, Sallie Mae, Lehman Brothers, American Express, and Booz Allen reflecting a remarkable wealth of knowledge and experience in our respective fields. Our leadership team will match you with the consultant most capable of serving your project.

Rob Pedersen

Founder/Managing Partner

Rob brings 30+ years of commercial and consumer banking experience with 23 years as the Chief Credit or Chief Risk Officer for FDIC/OCC/FED regulated banks. In this capacity, Rob worked in senior leadership and c-suite positions for companies such as Chase Bank, GE Capital, American Express, and Sallie Mae Bank. During his career, he was a member of the start-up team for two successful banks where he helped guide them through the application process, regulatory approval, and full launch with both banks achieving sustainable profitability in less than five years.

Rob holds a BA and MBA with a finance emphasis from Brigham Young University. He has been active in non-profit work for 25+ years and has served on the board for five non-profits including serving as board president or chairman for those organizations.

Jae Kang

Founder/Managing Partner

Jae is a seasoned global executive with over 30 years of experience in risk management and M&A for banking and insurance clients. He most recently served as Deputy Chief Risk Officer at Nelnet and Head of Risk Management at Sallie Mae, where he revitalized ERM frameworks and led initiatives in stress testing, model risk, data governance, and AI risk oversight.

Previously, Jae was a Global M&A Executive, leading major transactions including CIT’s $3.1B acquisition of OneWest Bank and MetLife’s $16B divestiture of ALICO. He also held roles at the FDIC, Booz Allen, and Lehman Brothers, advising on regulatory compliance, strategy, and asset sales.

Jae holds degrees in Economics from the University of Chicago, an MBA from Wharton, and a Master’s in Data Analytics and AI from Penn State.