Bank of Ireland has announced the appointment of Prag Sharma as its first chief AI officer.

Sharma, who will take on the role in October, joins from Citigroup, where he worked in a variety of senior positions including as director of emerging technologies and global head of AI.

During his time with Citigroup, Sharma established and led its Global AI Centre of Excellence, which the Bank of Ireland said delivered end to end AI powered products across 96 countries.

He also served as director at Citi Institute’s Future of Finance think -tank and research unit.

Elsewhere, Sharma has also held various innovation and emerging technologies-focussed roles in industry and academia. These include Deloitte’s advanced analytics consulting practice, University College Dublin’s Insight Centre for Data Analytics, and Accenture Accenture’s Integrated Markets Group.

Ciarán Coyle, group chief operating officer at Bank of Ireland, said that AI is a core part of the company’s strategy until 2028 and Sharma will play a key part in its implementation.

“With a proven track record of delivering impactful AI globally, Prag brings the vision, leadership and expertise required to safely accelerate our AI transformation and unlock meaningful value across the Group,” he added. “Prag’s appointment also reflects our ambition to position Bank of Ireland at the forefront of responsible AI innovation and adoption.”

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