Lloyds Banking Group has appointed Rohit Dhawan as Director of AI (artificial intelligence) and Advanced Analytics to help the bank scale the technology.
In this newly established role, Dhawan will spearhead the Group’s AI Centre of Excellence, uniting specialists in Data Science, Behavioral Science, Machine Learning (ML) Engineering, Advanced Analytics, and AI Ethics.
He will shape the comprehensive strategy for AI, ML and advanced analytics, ensuring technical excellence. Additionally, he will champion the adoption of AI-enabled products and services, aiming to enhance and transform the experience for the Group’s 27 million customers.
Dhawan, who holds a PhD in artificial intelligence from the University of Sydney, joins Lloyds from Amazon Web Services, where he led Data and AI Strategy for the Asia-Pacific region. There, he drove key initiatives, integrating AI into customer and operational processes and establishing a multi-disciplinary data and AI function.
Dhawan will report to Ranil Boteju, the Group’s Chief Data and Analytics Officer.
Boteju stated: “I’m delighted to welcome Rohit Dhawan as our new Director of AI and Advanced Analytics. Rohit’s appointment is a significant boost for the strategic development of AI technology and capabilities within Lloyds Banking Group, with his wealth of experience delivering technology and change, at pace and scale.
“Rohit will work across the business to further integrate AI outcomes into business priorities, helping us to scale AI in a consistent way and deliver against our strategy.”
Under Rohit’s leadership, the AI Centre of Excellence will enhance its efforts to attract and retain top AI and Ethics talent in the UK, expanding its team of industry experts. Lloyds Banking Group will also continue to support early careers in AI and Data Science through one of the UK’s largest data science graduate programmes.
The creation of this new role also aligns with Lloyds’ strategy from 2022, which aims to speed up the use of digital technologies and data to better serve customers. This year alone, the Group has added 1,500 technology and data specialists, bringing the total to over 4,000 in the past two and a half years.
Lloyds has been an admirer of the AI for a while now. Last September, the bank researched AI, stating that the technology would ‘shake up the UK economy and boost productivity’.
Commenting on his new role, Dhawan said: “It’s a privilege to join Lloyds Banking Group, and I’m excited to work for an organisation undergoing one of the largest transformations in financial services and look at how we can transform the way we use data and tech to respond to changing customer needs.
“I’m looking forward to progressing the Group’s ambitious AI strategy and maximising opportunities across the organisation as part of the Group’s purpose to help Britain prosper.”