Rohit Dhawan has been named director of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Lloyds Banking Group, and he will report to Ranil Boteju, chief data and analytics officer of the group.

Dhawan will head the group’s AI Centre of Excellence in this newly created position, which brings together specialists in data science, behavioral science, ML engineering, advanced analytics, and AI ethics.

In order to improve and revolutionise the experience for the group’s 27 million customers, he will be in charge of directing technical excellence, fostering the uptake of AI-enabled goods and services, and forming the overall AI, ML, and advanced analytics strategy.

The AI Centre of Excellence, led by Dhawan, will strengthen efforts to draw and keep top AI and ethics talent in the UK by expanding the group of professionals who work there.

This includes a devoted group of more than thirty PhDs in important fields.

Moreover, Lloyds Banking Group will keep encouraging early careers in AI and data science by offering one of the biggest graduate programmes in the UK in data science.

Dhawan, an industry veteran, earned a PhD in artificial intelligence from the University of Sydney. He has joined from Amazon Web Services, where he was head of data and AI Strategy for Asia-Pacific.

In this position, he oversaw a number of strategic initiatives, including the incorporation of AI into customer and operational processes, as well as the establishment of a multidisciplinary data and AI department.

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.”

Dhawan added: “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.”

Lloyds Banking Group has increased its use of digital technologies and data to support customers, recruiting 1,500 specialists this year. The integration of AI and analytics will improve customer experience, with over 50 use cases currently underway.