Lloyds hires AWS director to lead new AI and analytics unit

Editorial

This content has been selected, created and edited by the Finextra editorial team based on its importance and interest in our community.

In this newly created role, Rohit Dhawan will lead the UK bank’s AI Centre of Excellence, bringing together experts in data science, behavioural science, ML engineering, advanced analytics and AI ethics. He will be responsible for shaping the overall AI, ML and advanced analytics strategy and driving the adoption of AI-enabled products and services for the bank’s 27 million customers.

Rohit, who has a PhD in AI from the University of Sydney, joins from Amazon Web Services where he was head of data and AI strategy for Asia Pacific, a role in which he led a number of strategic initiatives including integrating AI into customer and operational processes and establishing a multi-disciplinary data and AI function.

Ranil Boteju, Director of Data and Analytics at Lloyds Banking Group, says: “Rohit’s appointment is a significant boost for the strategic development of AI technology and capabilities across Lloyds Banking Group, with his extensive experience in delivering technology and change at speed and scale. Rohit will work across the business to further integrate AI performance into business priorities, helping us scale AI in a coherent way and deliver on our strategy.”

Lloyds is currently reviewing more than 50 AI use cases across the business, including improving the speed of support, the quality of chatbot tools and detecting early warning signs of fraud.

The bank has already hired 1,500 more technology and data specialists this year, bringing the total number of hires to more than 4,000 in the past two and a half years.

Dhawan says: “I am excited to work for an organisation undergoing one of the biggest transformations in financial services and see how we can transform the way we use data and technology to respond to changing customer needs.”