TL;DR

The UK government has appointed Harriet Rees from Starling Bank and Dr Rohit Dhawan from Lloyds Banking Group as AI Champions for financial services. They will report directly to the Economic Secretary to accelerate safe AI adoption across the sector.

Three-Quarters of Firms Already Using AI

Around three-quarters of UK financial firms now deploy AI, up sharply from just over half in recent years. Independent analysis suggests AI could add tens of billions of pounds to the financial and professional services sector by 2030, transforming services for consumers while boosting productivity.

The new Champions will help turn this momentum into practical delivery. Reporting directly to Economic Secretary Lucy Rigby, they will explore ways to accelerate safe adoption at scale, identify where innovation can move faster and tackle barriers holding firms back.

Appointments Bring Real-World Experience

Harriet Rees, Group Chief Information Officer at Starling Bank, leads data, engineering, information security and product development. She co-chairs the Bank of England’s AI Taskforce and is a member of the AI Consortium.

“The sector faces a pivotal moment to become a world leader in AI,” Rees said. “I look forward to working with HM Treasury and the industry to create a world-class ecosystem in which innovation exceeds customers’ expectations.”

Dr Rohit Dhawan, Head of AI and Advanced Analytics at Lloyds Banking Group, shapes the Group’s strategy for AI, machine learning and advanced analytics. He leads teams across data science, behavioural science, machine learning engineering and AI ethics.

“AI has the potential to reshape the industry,” Dhawan said. “At Lloyds Banking Group we are already seeing how thoughtful and responsible adoption of AI can transform customer experience and the way a large organisation operates.”

Looking Forward

For UK financial services firms, these appointments signal government commitment to supporting AI adoption while maintaining consumer protection. The Champions’ focus on identifying barriers and accelerating safe innovation suggests a pragmatic approach to regulation that could help UK firms compete globally.